Water publications

Features

The Council of Canadians chapter on water in the Alternative Federal Budget 2012
Struggles Against Canadian Mining Companies Around the World, May 2012
Factsheet: We Must Take Action to Protect the Great Lakes Forever, May 2012
Handbill: 5 Things you can do to protect the Great Lakes, May 2012
Chilean Patagonia in the Balance: Dams, Mines and the Canadian Connection, By Alex Latta and Kari Williams for The Council of Canadians, January 2012
Myths Versus Realities: Getting the facts about fracking, February 2012
We Must Take Action to Protect the Great Lakes Forever, October 2011
Radioactive Shipment Will Put Great Lakes at Risk, October 2011
“Do you have running water? I don’t and I live in Canada”, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2011
Feds Need to Face the Facts about Fracking, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2011
Mega Quarry Would Be a Mega Mistake, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2011
Our Right to Water: A People’s Guide to Implementing the United Nations’ Recognition of the Right to Water and Sanitation, Maude Barlow, The Council of Canadians, June 2011 (1.35 MB) (français) (español) (português)
- Appendix: What Does the Right to Water and Sanitation Mean for Canada?
Moving from Recognition to Realization: Botswana court upholds Kalahari Bushmen’s right to water, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
Burnaby, B.C., Becomes Canada’s First Blue Community, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
When the Water Changed: How one family doctor is speaking out about the tar sands industry, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
No Fracking Way: Our water, health and air at risk, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
Creating a New Narrative for the Great Lakes Radioactive shipments planned for Lakes, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
Our Great Lakes Commons: A People's Plan to Protect the Great Lakes Forever, By Maude Barlow, March 2011
Fact sheet: No Fracking Way! Hydraulic fracturing poses serious risks to water and health, January 2011
Bulk Water Export Bill Has Leaks, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2010
Council Joins Community Struggles to Protect Canadian Lakes and Rivers from Becoming Mining Companies’ Private Dumps, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2010
Right to Water Resolution a Resounding Victory for Water Justice, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2010
Fact sheet: Private water and CETA (bilingual) September 2010
3 World Water Wins: Around the world, people are taking control of their water supply, By Maude Barlow, Anil Naidoo, Meera Karunananthan, Yes Magazine, May 27, 2010
Council of Canadians Statement on the Draft Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulation, Submitted to the Department of the Environment, May 19, 2010
Why is the Canadian Government Letting Mining Companies Turn Lakes into Toxic Dumps? March 2011
There Is No Market for Water, Canadian Perspectives, Spring 2010
Water and climate change, Maude Barlow, January 2010
Our Water Commons - Toward a new freshwater narrative

To read the new Making Waves quarterly e-newsletter, click here.

Fact sheets

Free trade is fracking with our future: How NAFTA, FIPA and other investment deals put democracy and the environment at risk, March 2013
We Must Take Action to Protect the Great Lakes Forever, May 2012
Myths Versus Realities: Getting the facts about fracking, February 2012
We Must Take Action to Protect the Great Lakes Forever, October 2011
Radioactive Shipment Will Put Great Lakes at Risk, October 2011
Five things you should know about Canada’s position on the right to water July 2010
A National Disgrace: Canada’s shameful position on the right to water July 2010
Frequently Asked Questions: A UN covenant for the human right to waterJuly 2010 (PDF)
Why is the Canadian Government Letting Mining Companies Turn Lakes into Toxic Dumps? May 2012
Why Canada needs a National Water Policy March 2009 (PDF 151kb)
Fighting Water P3s March 2009 (PDF 460kb)
Five Reasons to Ban Bottled Water March 2009 (PDF 1.45mb)
Tackling industry spin on bottled water March 2009 (PDF 1.69mb)
Council of Canadians' submission to the Toronto District School Board in advance of a vote on whether to ban bottled water sales in their 560 schools June 2008
Canada’s water under pressure: Five reasons to oppose bulk water exports October 2007
Global water movement grows in numbers and force October 2007

Brochures and presentations

Council of Canadians 2008 General Water Presentation
(PDF or Powerpoint) Spring 2008
ACT for Canada's Water: Canada needs a National Water Policy, PDF brochure including a tear-away card to send to the Prime Minister. February 2007
Declaration on the Right to Water (PDF)
For teachers! Lesson Plan provided by the Council of Canadians. Includes key questions, talking points, sample municipal water declaration, follow-up activities.

Books

Blue Covenant:The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water, Maude Barlow, October 2007
A solution-focused guide to our greatest environmental crisis. Includes essays from Bill McKibben, Vandana Shiva, Maude Barlow, Tony Clarke, and others.

Reports, articles and speeches

Process to Replace Canadian Environmental Assessment Act Is a Threat to Water, the Environment and Democracy, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2012
Momentum Building for Fracking Bans, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2012
Tar Sands Are Coming to a Great Lake Near You, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2012
Teen Helps Turn Cities into Blue Communities, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2012
Bearing Witness to Community Struggles Against Dams and Mining in Mexico is a report by Maude Barlow, former Senior Advisor on Water to the 63nd President of the United Nations General Assembly and Blue Planet Project founder, detailing her travels in Mexico in November 2012 to bear witness to the growing social and environmental impacts of dams and mining operations and community struggles for access to clean, safe water.
Paying for water in Canada in a time of austerity and privatization: A discussion paper by Maude Barlow, June 2012
Council Launches Tour in May to Protect Great Lakes Forever, Canadian Perspectives, Spring 2012
Why We Need to Shout Out Against Mining Injustice, Canadian Perspectives, Spring 2012
We Are All Stewards of the Land: One community’s fight against fracking, Canadian Perspectives, Spring 2012
Rio+20’s So-Called “Green Economy” a Trojan Horse, Canadian Perspectives, Spring 2012
Great expectations for the Great Lakes: Council of Canadians’ statement on upcoming Great Lakes Protection Act, May 2012
Chilean Patagonia in the Balance: Dams, Mines and the Canadian Connection, By Alex Latta and Kari Williams for The Council of Canadians, January 2012
Letter calling on the G77 to support the right to water and sanitation in Rio, The Council of Canadians, October 31, 2011
Great Lakes Water Quality Submission, The Coucil of Canadians, October 2011
Our Right to Water: A People’s Guide to Implementing the United Nations’ Recognition of the Right to Water and Sanitation, Maude Barlow, The Council of Canadians, June 2011 (1.35 MB) (français) (español)
- Appendix: What Does the Right to Water and Sanitation Mean for Canada?
Moving from Recognition to Realization: Botswana court upholds Kalahari Bushmen’s right to water, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
Burnaby, B.C., Becomes Canada’s First Blue Community, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
When the Water Changed: How one family doctor is speaking out about the tar sands industry, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
No Fracking Way: Our water, health and air at risk, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
Creating a New Narrative for the Great Lakes Radioactive shipments planned for Lakes, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
Creating a New Narrative for the Great Lakes Radioactive shipments planned for Lakes, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2011
Our Great Lakes Commons: A People's Plan to Protect the Great Lakes Forever, By Maude Barlow, March 2011
(6.46 MB)
Submission to the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, Council of Canadians raises several concerns with the Safe Drinking Water For First Nations Act (Bill S-11), February 18, 2011.
Public water for sale: How Canada will privatize our public water systems, Council of Canadians and CUPE, December 2010
Bulk Water Export Bill Has Leaks, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2010
Council Joins Community Struggles to Protect Canadian Lakes and Rivers from Becoming Mining Companies’ Private Dumps, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2010
Right to Water Resolution a Resounding Victory for Water Justice, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2010
3 World Water Wins: Around the world, people are taking control of their water supply, By Maude Barlow, Anil Naidoo, Meera Karunananthan, Yes Magazine, May 27, 2010
There Is No Market for Water by Meera Karunananthan and Scott Harris, Canadian Perspectives, Spring 2010
Council of Canadians Statement on the Draft Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulation, Submitted to the Department of the Environment, May 19, 2010
Statement from the Council of Canadians submitted to the Alberta government regarding an application by the Eastern Irrigation District to eliminate restrictions on its water licence that currently prevent it from being used for any purpose other than irrigation. April 2010
Women and Water in Canada: The Significance of Privatization and Commercialization Trends for Women’s Health, March 2010
Victory at Site 41 Shows There Is No Water to Waste, Canadian Perspectives, Autumn 2009
Notes for opening keynote Australian Water Summit, April 1, 2009 by Maude Barlow, (Former) Senior Advisor on Water to the President of the United Nations General Assembly
Fast Facts: Municipal Corporate Utility for Winnipeg’s Water and Waste, Lessons from Elsewhere, Report by Maude Barlow & Meera Karunananthan, July 21, 2009
Painting the Town “Blue” One Community at a Time, by Meera Karunananthan, Canadian Perspectives, Summer 2009
— Youth Ban the Bottle on World Water Day
National Water Policy - From the CCPA's 2009 Alternative Federal Budget (PDF 129kb)
Mining Companies Turning Lakes into Toxic Dumps, by Meera Karunananthan, Canadian Perspectives, Spring 2009
Council of Canadians' submission to the Toronto District School Board in advance of a vote on whether to ban bottled water sales in their 560 schools June 2008
Recipient of the Canadian Environment Award's Citation of Lifetime Acheivement award, Maude Barlow used portion of her keynote address to highlight the impacts of the petrochemical industry on the environment and health, particularly of First Nations communities, in Canada. Read her full speech here. June 2, 2008
Yes, It’s Worth It: Anil Naidoo reflects on a year in the life of the water justice movement, Canadian Perspectives, Spring 2008
A Review of the Engagement Sessions for the Federal Action Plan on Safe Drinking Water for First Nations, Safe Drinking Water Foundation, April 24, 2009
Speaking notes for the Mary Donaldson Lecture, Saskatchewan Library Association annual meeting, April 30, 2009
Lake Naivasha withering under the assault of international flower vendors (PDF), report by Food & Water Watch and The Council of Canadians, February 2008
A Federal Perspective on Water Quantity Issues - Unreleased government report on water crisis in Canada made public by The Council of Canadians and MiningWatch Canada, December 2007

Documents obtained by the Council of Canadians provide damning evidence of how North American integration is being carried out by stealth. They describe a series of closed-door meetings with government officials and business leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States to discuss everything from bulk water exports to a joint security perimeter and a continental resource pact, all with the explicit aim of helping executive-level politicians further integrate our three countries.

Leaked document: North American Future 2025 Project (PDF format)
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Backgrounder: The North American Future 2025 Project (PDF format)
The Council of Canadians' analysis(PDF format)

Water is a human right