Short Story

Starting on World Water Day, March 22nd, the Council of Canadians launched our Water Drops program to educate and activate hundreds of teachers and thousands of students across Canada around the crisis of drinking water advisories in First Nations communities. Despite government promises to supply safe drinking water to all First Nations by 2021, there are still 31 communities with long-term drinking water advisories. Now, the First Nations Clean Water Act has been introduced in parliament, but needs substantial amendments in order to provide clean water and respect Indigenous rights and title.

Even one drinking water advisory is one too many. Donate to this project to support the Council of Canadians in:

  • educating and mobilizing students
  • researching the First Nations Clean Water Act and creating relevant materials
  • staffing the project with one clear purpose in mind: safe drinking water for everyone now! 
Across Canada, Canada

Safe water for First Nations – now!

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Story

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.