MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2007

Canadian organizations join communities in Atlantic Canada to defend public water

   

Amidst growing concerns about water privatization in Atlantic Canada, three Canadian organizations involved in the battle against water privatization are touring the region to speak to communities about the global water crisis.

“There is an increasing attack on the provision of public services, in favour of market solutions,” says Brian O’Neill of Oxfam Canada. ”This attack is occurring not just in Third World countries where in many cases the effects have been devastating, but also in richer countries such as Canada the U.S. and the U.K.”

"Whether it's a proposal to burn tires near a lake in Truro or plans to open new Canadian-owned mines in Mexico and the Philippines, contamination is a major threat to water supplies worldwide," says Julie Graham, KAIROS Education and Network Coordinator.  “It’s up to citizens to demand that governments fulfill their responsibility to protect our water.”

"There have been some alarming developments in Atlantic Canada,” says Susan Howatt, water campaigner at the Council of Canadians. “Inadequate funding for crumbling infrastructure has made the region vulnerable to privatization.”

According to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 78 per cent of the 18 First Nations water systems in the Atlantic region were deemed to be at "high risk."

In Moncton, New Brunswick, the failure to invest in water infrastructure resulted in a controversial public-private partnership (P3) for the delivery of water services in 1999. Just recently, the Sackville Town Council announced that it would be seeking proposals from the private sector for water treatment despite public outcry.

“Atlantic Canadians are deeply committed to protecting their public services,” says Howatt. “This tour will give us a chance share information and to listen to local concerns.”

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