Canadians want water recognized as a human right

OTTAWA - According to an Ipsos-Reid poll released today, 84% of Canadians strongly agree that Canada should adopt a comprehensive national water policy that recognizes clean drinking water as a basic human right.

Overall, 97% of Canadians expressed their support for water to be recognized as a human right. The Ipsos-Reid poll was conducted with 1057 Canadian adults between March 30 and April 1, 2004 and was commissioned by the Council of Canadians and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The results are considered accurate to within ± 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, and are available at www.ipsos-reid.com.

Despite this overwhelming support, the government has consistently refused to listen to Canadians on this issue. In 2002, the Canadian government was the only one to vote against accepting water as a human right at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Moreover, the Walkerton Inquiry found that the right to water does not exist in Canadian legislation.

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Act Now!

The Council of Canadians has launched a national campaign to ensure water is a human right and to encourage Canadians to act locally to protect our waters. We must ensure that water remains a human right that is public, protected, and priceless.

Click here for more information and to email the Prime Minister on this issue.