World Water Day 2011
A message from Maude Barlow

Dear friends,

Today is World Water Day and a time to reflect on the gift of water that sustains all life on Earth. While many have access to clean safe drinking water, millions do not. We must come together this World Water Day to commit to a new relationship with water. We must conserve it, restore watersheds, protect source water from pollution – pollution must be viewed as a criminal act – and share it more equitably for all humans, for the future and for other species as well.

Modern humans see water as a great big resource for our pleasure, convenience and profit and not as the essential element of a living ecosystem that gives us all life – so we pollute it. We dump an amount of industrial and human waste into the watersheds every year equivalent to the combined weight of all humanity. We pump water from watersheds and rivers into mega cities where, if they are anywhere near the ocean, it is then dumped as waste – a major cause of rising oceans. We grow crops with flood irrigation in deserts. We poison water with mining, nuclear, fracking and tar sands production. We let water drain away from ancient rusting pipes because we have “run out of money” for public infrastructure.

The United Nations has recognized water and sanitation as a human right, which means that every government must now come up with a plan of action based on the “Obligation to Protect, Respect, and Fulfill” this right. We expect no less from the Harper government. The United Nations must also turn its attention to water conservation and watershed restoration, and to finding ways to make water a means of peace, not conflict.

We must also declare water to be a common heritage, a public trust and a public service, and we need to support the government of Bolivia in its new move to declare that water must be protected as a public right and not allowed to be delivered on a for-profit basis by the private sector. We need water for life. Water can teach us how to live in harmony with one another and more lightly on this Earth if we have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Maude Barlow
National Chairperson, The Council of Canadians
March 22, 2011

Here’s more about what’s new at the Council of Canadians on World Water Day:

• Burnaby, B.C. named Canada’s first Blue Community on eve of World Water Day
• New report released: “Our Great Lakes Commons: A People’s Plan to Protect the Great Lakes Forever”
• Poll finds majority of Canadians want Harper government to recognize water as a human right; make water a budget priority
• Council calls on federal government to spend $7 billion on water
• Chapters take action on World Water Day
• Make a difference for water: Join the Council of Canadians

Burnaby, B.C. named Canada’s first Blue Community on eve of World Water Day

The Council of Canadians and CUPE were on hand to help celebrate as Burnaby, British Columbia became Canada’s first Blue Community on the eve of World Water Day. Council and CUPE representatives presented Burnaby Mayor Derrick Corrigan with a certificate to mark the achievement.

A municipality can become a Blue Community by recognizing water as a human right, promoting publicly financed, owned and operated water and wastewater services, and banning the sale of bottled water in public facilities and at municipal events. Burnaby, located just east of Vancouver, has now adopted municipal resolutions affirming these three criteria.

"This is a real victory for water in Burnaby, and is a result of many dedicated people getting organized for water justice in their community," said Harjap Grewal, B.C.-Yukon Regional Organizer for the Council of Canadians.

The certificate presented to the City of Burnaby, signed by Council of Canadians National Chairperson Maude Barlow and CUPE President Paul Moist, notes that a Blue Community “is one that treats water as belonging to no one, and the responsibility of all. Because water is central to human activity, it must be governed by principles that allow for reasonable use, equal distribution and responsible treatment in order to preserve water for nature and future generations.”

Congratulations to local chapter activists and to Burnaby, B.C. residents for this important recognition!

Photo: (Left-right) Council of Canadians chapter activist Elsie Dean, Burnaby Mayor Derrick Corrigan, Council of Canadians chapter activist Elizabeth Briemberg, CUPE-BC researcher Robin Roff.

New report released: “Our Great Lakes Commons: A People’s Plan to Protect the Great Lakes Forever”

Our Great Lakes Commons: A People’s Plan to Protect the Great Lakes Forever is an in-depth report about the critical importance of forging a new future for the Great Lakes watershed, which provides life and livelihood to more than 40 million people in Canada and the United States, as well as thousands of species that live around it.

Written by Maude Barlow, the paper is intended to serve as a background and a call to understanding and action on a new proposal to designate the Great Lakes and its tributary waters as a lived Commons, to be shared, protected, carefully managed and enjoyed by all who live around them.

Noting that the Great Lakes are in serious trouble from multipoint pollution, climate change, the over-traction of its waters, invasive species and wetland loss, Barlow argues that a new Great Lakes Basin Commons would need to be protected by a legal and political framework based on Public Trust Doctrine, underpinning in law that the Great Lakes must be protected as a shared resource and protected bioregion for the common good and for future generations.

Go here to read the full report.

Poll finds majority of Canadians want Harper government to recognize water as a human right; make water a budget priority

A new Environics Research poll commissioned by the Council of Canadians indicates that 73% of Canadians want the Harper government to recognize the human right to clean and safe water and sanitation. In 2010, the United Nations passed a historic resolution recognizing the human right to water and sanitation. The resolution passed overwhelmingly with 122 states voting in favour. Forty-one countries abstained, including Canada.

The poll also found that 78% of Canadians support the federal government spending $31 billion in federal budgets over the coming years for urgently needed maintenance and upgrading of water and wastewater infrastructure. In November 2007, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities released its report titled Danger Ahead: The Coming Collapse of Canada’s Municipal Infrastructure, which stated that $31 billion was needed to “repair and prevent deterioration” in water infrastructure (distribution, supply and treatment) and wastewater systems (sanitary and storm sewers and related treatment facilities).

“Introducing a federal budget on March 22, World Water Day, is an opportunity to prioritize spending on Canada's water needs," said the Council’s National Water Campaigner Emma Lui. "Will the federal budget spend $31 billion on water and wastewater infrastructure, or $29 billion on warplanes in the coming years? The Council of Canadians is concerned that the Harper government is getting the answer to this crucial question wrong."

To read our media release on this issue go here.

Council calls on federal government to spend $7 billion on water

The Council of Canadians called on the Harper government to prioritize water in the upcoming budget, which will be delivered today.

In a press release issued last week, the Council of Canadians said the federal budget should allocate more than $7 billion in spending this year on priority areas such as a National Public Water Fund for municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, for clean drinking water in First Nations communities, the cleaning up of Canada’s waterways and Great Lakes, and increased water quality and quantity monitoring.

To read our full media release on this including details of budget allocation proposals, go here.

Chapters take action on World Water Day

In communities across the country, Council of Canadians chapters, members and supporters are taking part in activities today to promote water as a public resource and a human right.

Here are just a few examples:

• In Comox Valley, British Columbia you can “Taste the Water on World Water Day!” by sampling drinking water from each of the nine local water systems from a variety of sources.
• In Edmonton, Alberta hear about "The Public Trust Doctrine and the Future of Water in Alberta” This public event features Michigan-based attorney and public trust doctrine advocate Jim Olson and University of Alberta water expert Dr. David Schindler.
• At York University in York, Ontario, the campus chapter will be doing a taste test between bottled water and tap water, raffling off reusable water bottles, giving out information about water issues, and getting signatures for a petition banning water bottle sales on campus.
• In Saint John, New Brunswick, you can join a “Walk for Water” which will be followed by a film screening of Water on the Table.

There are many more events taking place today and through the month of March. Get specific event details and find out more about what’s happening for water by visiting our calendar of events.

Make a difference for water: Join the Council of Canadians

The Council of Canadians’ work is built on a strong foundation of timely and strategic campaigns. Through our campaigns we continue to fight for the values, social programs and progressive policies that Canadians believe in. Our water campaign focuses on securing a National Water Policy that recognizes water as a human right and protects our rivers, lakes and groundwater from privatization, pollution and bulk exports. Canada needs a strong policy that ensures our water resources are not only properly mapped, but also publicly maintained and protected from trade agreements. When you donate or become a member of the Council of Canadians, you join tens of thousands of people who are making waves for safe, clean, accessible water here in Canada and around the world. Make a difference for water – join or donate today!

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