“When First Nations people were put on reserves, they were forced into areas that were deemed uninhabitable for white,” she said.

Republication or distribution of this content is But that’s not the case: Nibinamik has had a water-treatment plant since 1997. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. “I try to avoid partisan politics on the federal side, but I have to commend the Liberal government for the efforts that they’ve made,” Day says. Where it comes from, how it’s treated or whether it’s safe for you to drink? The water smelled and boiling it was of no use because it released the toxic gases into the air.

Communities that have had long-term advisories lifted say their water is still vulnerable, citing issues including low pay for water operators, unreliable contractors, faulty equipment, and a lack of backup power sources. Canada passed the Indian Act—a huge, complicated set of laws that oversee relations with First Nations—in 1876, around the same time it began building the railway and signing treaties.

“Yes, there’s a lot of work to do, but I believe the Liberals deserve a lot of credit for making a good run at this.”.

But it also may be the case that political promises on the matter—this talk of advisories ending—is highly misleading. According to non-profit organization The Council of Canada, there are roughly 100 First Nations in the country at any given time that are under water advisories. Those updated guidelines now state that surface water—the kind of water supply that Nibinamik uses—requires, at minimum, chemically-assisted filtration plus chlorination. © 2019 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Federal Budget 2019: Canada on track to eliminate all water advisories in Indigenous communities in 2 years, Grassy Narrows pleading for mercury care home funding, 'Move to Canada' searches explode during chaotic Trump-Biden debate, Trump says he 'enjoyed' debating Biden, falsely claims other debates will be cancelled, Trudeau says government ‘on track’ to fulfill clean water promise, Lots of blame, little action 1 year after Attawapiskat suicide crisis, Wabanaki Water Walkers raising awareness on sacredness of water, climate concerns, U.S. military base housing Canadian troops in Iraq attacked, Liberals reintroduce bill banning forced LGBTQ2 conversion therapy, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend announce death of baby following pregnancy complications, Southwestern Ontario man takes time to plan before claiming $70M LOTTO MAX jackpot, Ontario reports 538 new coronavirus cases, 3 additional deaths, Here are the key takeaways of the 1st U.S. presidential debate, Trump says he ‘really enjoyed’ U.S. presidential debate against Joe Biden, Canada's commercial rent subsidy ending without replacement worries Edmonton businesses, Dozens charged, millions in property and cash seized in alleged illegal casino bust: York police, Joyce Echaquan's family calls for justice after her death, Vancouver International Film Festival faces competition online, Why some provinces haven't joined federal COVID-19 Alert app, Water quality concerns spur state of emergency in Attawapiskat, non-profit organization The Council of Canada, ‘We’re not bluffing’: Ontario First Nation urges Trudeau, O’Regan to witness housing crisis, Cat Lake First Nation crisis spotlights health-care struggles of remote communities. It was not enough when some took to wearing gas masks while sitting at their kitchen tables, so frightened were they of the noxious fumes emitted by boiling water. Where Is Our Global Outrage Over Kashmir? Since 2015, VICE News Canada has been documenting the fight to bring clean drinking water to all First Nations across Canada.

A recent 2016 Human Rights Watch report found that the Canadian government has violated a range of international human rights obligations by failing to remedy the water crisis. Deagle noted in his statement that Eabametoong has a new water treatment plant, and the community’s long-term drinking water advisory should be removed next month.

During a press conference on October 5, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh promised to ensure there are no more drinking-water advisories in First Nations; two reporters asked him if he was “writing a blank cheque” for this and other Indigenous issues.

The horror stories are not new, they are regularly in the news cycle and yet it is not enough. This page is a hub for our ongoing coverage of the issue. No, it was not until two women in Attawapiskat, band councillor Sylvia Koostachin-Metatawabin and former Chief Theresa Spence, staged a 15-day hunger strike that Ontario and Ottawa finally determined that there was sufficient reason to act. The author of the OCWA’s report was not able to review data on the water source’s biological quality, which refers to bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. The flexible nature of the project has presented both institutional and scientific challenges. Water quality concerns spur state of emergency in Attawapiskat.

Singh, who didn’t elaborate on what his approach to the problem would be, replied: “If Toronto had a drinking-water problem, if Montreal had a drinking-water problem, would you be asking the same question?”, But, even for First Nations like Nibinamik, whose location is an aggravating factor in attaining clean water, remoteness is not the root cause of the water crisis. Nibinimak’s water-treatment plant was one of the facilities built during this period, opening in 1997. Fact-based journalism that sparks the Canadian conversation, “I really like the water from the tap,” says Walter Oskineegish over the phone from Thunder Bay.

“And this is part of the problem.”, READ MORE: Chief Harvey Yesno declared a state of emergency on July 15 after water tests showed high levels of the chemicals trihalomethanes, far above federal safety standards. Tim Alamenciak is a journalist based in Kitchener. Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday.

Parents are embracing home-schooling during COVID-19. We just can’t go to Ottawa and rally for our rights.”.

In February this year, Trudeau said the promise to eliminate long-term advisories remains “on track.”.

When Will First Nations People Have the Power to Control Their Own Lives? And, though the Conservatives, Liberals, NDPs, and Greens have all said they remain committed to the issue, Day is concerned that no one is talking about long-term operation and maintenance of all the new infrastructure being built. That number foreshadowed a bleak future of drinking water for the community. Drinking water on First Nations reserves has been an issue for decades. However, the government has pledged $2 billion for the multi-year commitment. According to the government’s website, 86 long-term water advisories have been lifted since the Trudeau government came into power.