OTTAWA (CP) - Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice announced new standards and clean-up plans Tuesday - but no extra cash - to help First Nations at risk from dirty water.
Critics called it a smoke-mirrors ploy that doesn't recognize funding shortfalls. But Prentice was adamant that 170 native reserves at high risk, 21 of them critically so, aren't in danger for lack of money. "It is not a shortage of financial resources," he said.
Rather, 170 of 755 water treatment systems pose health hazards due to lack of training, maintenance and standards, he says.
Bad drinking water on First Nations was an international embarrassment for the former Liberals while in government.
Last October, Canadians were shocked by stories of illness blamed on dirty water and poor sanitation on a northern Ontario reserve.
One thousand residents of Kashechewan were evacuated while their water treatment plant was cleaned up.
Prentice announced a new protocol to fill a regulatory gap for which the former Liberal government was long criticized.
It will:
-Set standards for the design, construction, operation, maintenance and monitoring of reserve water plants.
-Ensure all systems are overseen by certified operators by 2007. Just 40 per cent of such staff now have full training.
-Kick-start action plans for 21 First Nations considered most at risk because of boil-water orders and major system flaws.
-Help develop related legislation with input from First Nations. A recommended framework is due in September.
-Require regular progress reports.
First Nations will be expected to meet federal or provincial standards, whichever is higher, or risk related funding, Prentice said.
"The water systems that this department will fund will be obligated to live up to the standards that are being put forward in this protocol."
Anita Neville, Liberal native affairs critic, called that an alarming approach.
"I find that very troubling," she said in an interview. "You don't threaten to withdraw funding when people's health and well-being are at risk."
Moreover, the Conservatives are re-hashing Liberal commitments without upholding $400 million in extra water-treatment cash promised under the landmark Kelowna deal for First Nations, Neville said.
That money was earmarked "on the basis of an assessment of what's needed in the department and a real commitment to make a change."
Prentice side-stepped the topic when pressed.
"I'm not addressing the issue of Kelowna today," he said of the $5-billion pact made last November by the Liberals, premiers and native leaders after 18 months of talks.
Prentice says that a $1.6-billion water fund pledged in 2003 over five years is enough to help the 21 high-risk First Nations, establish the protocol and accelerate training.
As for the other communities struggling with contaminated water?
"We'll tackle all of those 170 in the days and years ahead," the minister said.
Kashechewan is not on the list of 21 most at-risk reserves although it's still under a boil-water order until frozen water pipes can be disinfected in the spring.
Stan Louttit, grand chief of the Mushkegowuk Council representing Kashechewan, says under-funding is a major issue.
Families in remote communities where unemployment hits 90 per cent are expected by Indian Affairs to subsidize federal water-treatment funds, he said.
But impoverished families often can't afford water fees. Funding for operator training and maintenance falls short as a result, Louttit explained.
"Those are the things that are realistic and happening in our communities, but the government doesn't recognize those."
Still, Assembly of First Nations national chief Phil Fontaine called Tuesday's announcement a good first step.
"We don't take issue with anything the minister has expressed here today," Fontaine said as he flanked Prentice at the news conference.
Asked about funding issues, Fontaine said water standards must first be established along with a regulatory regime.
"Once we have that, then we can begin putting in place the kind of measures that are needed to ensure there's safe drinking water for all our citizens."
-
Here are the reserves considered by Indian Affairs consultants to be most at-risk for waterborne hazards:
New Brunswick: Woodstock, Pabineau
Quebec: Kitigan Zibi
Ontario: Constance Lake, Shoal Lake No. 40, Moose Deer Point, Northwest Angle, Ochiichagwe'babigo-ining, Kingfisher, Muskrat Dam Lake, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway
Alberta: Dene Tha', Driftpile, Frog Lake
British Columbia: Shuswap, Toosey, Toquaht, Lake Babine (Fort Babine), Canoe Creek, Semiahmoo, Taku River Tlingit
Source: Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/2006...pRvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
Half-ass Co0nservative work again.
First they may be right about the 155 systems of 700 in those 21 communities. But what about the other 500+ that do not need training and such.
Also why do Native communities have to follow the highest standard in different provinces and fluxuate if the federal standard is higher.
And even more concerning, if they can't reach the standard the COnservatives want to take all the funding away. What kind of BS is this. God damn *censored* pieces of crap. You don't take someone's money away when they need assistance.
And most communities don't have years to wait for the f-ing COnservatives to do something, they have been waiting for at leasy 20 years for someone to do something.
And they will not uphold the Kelowna agreement because it will probably put them over budget the idiots.
I hope they don't last long, I hope to my gods that they don't last to long and screw up Canada.
Critics called it a smoke-mirrors ploy that doesn't recognize funding shortfalls. But Prentice was adamant that 170 native reserves at high risk, 21 of them critically so, aren't in danger for lack of money. "It is not a shortage of financial resources," he said.
Rather, 170 of 755 water treatment systems pose health hazards due to lack of training, maintenance and standards, he says.
Bad drinking water on First Nations was an international embarrassment for the former Liberals while in government.
Last October, Canadians were shocked by stories of illness blamed on dirty water and poor sanitation on a northern Ontario reserve.
One thousand residents of Kashechewan were evacuated while their water treatment plant was cleaned up.
Prentice announced a new protocol to fill a regulatory gap for which the former Liberal government was long criticized.
It will:
-Set standards for the design, construction, operation, maintenance and monitoring of reserve water plants.
-Ensure all systems are overseen by certified operators by 2007. Just 40 per cent of such staff now have full training.
-Kick-start action plans for 21 First Nations considered most at risk because of boil-water orders and major system flaws.
-Help develop related legislation with input from First Nations. A recommended framework is due in September.
-Require regular progress reports.
First Nations will be expected to meet federal or provincial standards, whichever is higher, or risk related funding, Prentice said.
"The water systems that this department will fund will be obligated to live up to the standards that are being put forward in this protocol."
Anita Neville, Liberal native affairs critic, called that an alarming approach.
"I find that very troubling," she said in an interview. "You don't threaten to withdraw funding when people's health and well-being are at risk."
Moreover, the Conservatives are re-hashing Liberal commitments without upholding $400 million in extra water-treatment cash promised under the landmark Kelowna deal for First Nations, Neville said.
That money was earmarked "on the basis of an assessment of what's needed in the department and a real commitment to make a change."
Prentice side-stepped the topic when pressed.
"I'm not addressing the issue of Kelowna today," he said of the $5-billion pact made last November by the Liberals, premiers and native leaders after 18 months of talks.
Prentice says that a $1.6-billion water fund pledged in 2003 over five years is enough to help the 21 high-risk First Nations, establish the protocol and accelerate training.
As for the other communities struggling with contaminated water?
"We'll tackle all of those 170 in the days and years ahead," the minister said.
Kashechewan is not on the list of 21 most at-risk reserves although it's still under a boil-water order until frozen water pipes can be disinfected in the spring.
Stan Louttit, grand chief of the Mushkegowuk Council representing Kashechewan, says under-funding is a major issue.
Families in remote communities where unemployment hits 90 per cent are expected by Indian Affairs to subsidize federal water-treatment funds, he said.
But impoverished families often can't afford water fees. Funding for operator training and maintenance falls short as a result, Louttit explained.
"Those are the things that are realistic and happening in our communities, but the government doesn't recognize those."
Still, Assembly of First Nations national chief Phil Fontaine called Tuesday's announcement a good first step.
"We don't take issue with anything the minister has expressed here today," Fontaine said as he flanked Prentice at the news conference.
Asked about funding issues, Fontaine said water standards must first be established along with a regulatory regime.
"Once we have that, then we can begin putting in place the kind of measures that are needed to ensure there's safe drinking water for all our citizens."
-
Here are the reserves considered by Indian Affairs consultants to be most at-risk for waterborne hazards:
New Brunswick: Woodstock, Pabineau
Quebec: Kitigan Zibi
Ontario: Constance Lake, Shoal Lake No. 40, Moose Deer Point, Northwest Angle, Ochiichagwe'babigo-ining, Kingfisher, Muskrat Dam Lake, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway
Alberta: Dene Tha', Driftpile, Frog Lake
British Columbia: Shuswap, Toosey, Toquaht, Lake Babine (Fort Babine), Canoe Creek, Semiahmoo, Taku River Tlingit
Source: Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/2006...pRvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
Half-ass Co0nservative work again.
First they may be right about the 155 systems of 700 in those 21 communities. But what about the other 500+ that do not need training and such.
Also why do Native communities have to follow the highest standard in different provinces and fluxuate if the federal standard is higher.
And even more concerning, if they can't reach the standard the COnservatives want to take all the funding away. What kind of BS is this. God damn *censored* pieces of crap. You don't take someone's money away when they need assistance.
And most communities don't have years to wait for the f-ing COnservatives to do something, they have been waiting for at leasy 20 years for someone to do something.
And they will not uphold the Kelowna agreement because it will probably put them over budget the idiots.
I hope they don't last long, I hope to my gods that they don't last to long and screw up Canada.
