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Even one community without safe drinking water is one too many.  

Unfortunately, there are still 31 First Nations communities that don’t have access to clean drinking water, despite a nearly decade-old promise from the federal government to resolve all drinking water advisories in Indigenous communities. 

For four years now, the Council of Canadians has been educating and activating students across the country about the human right to water through our Water Drops program. This year, starting on World Water Day, March 22nd, the Council shared teaching materials and our unique Water Drop colour pages with teachers to bring into their classrooms. Students are now learning about the internationally-recognized human right to water and the ongoing water crisis in many Indigenous communities, and are presented with an opportunity to make a statement about what they learn. 

In June, the Council of Canadians collected these Water Drops back from teachers and students, and delivered them to the Prime Ministers Office so he could hear that thousands of students across the country want to see clean drinking water made available to everybody! 

Now, the federal government has introduced the First Nations Clean Water Act, which has the potential to protect Indigenous rights and treaties and the human right to water. But to do so, it needs key amendments. The Council of Canadians has made a submission to the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, and has a click-to-send letter so that people from across the country can send letters to this committee calling for the necessary amendments to the bill.

All the funds received are used to create and distribute materials, support the creative and impactful delivery of “Water Drops” to the Prime Minister, research the First Nations Clean Water Act and create relevant materials, and to staff the project.