Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller at a news conference in Ottawa on April 16, 2021.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says Ottawa has not extended its timeline for ending long-term drinking-water advisories in First Nations communities to 2026.
Mr. Miller’s comments on Wednesday followed questions from the federal NDP and the Assembly of First Nations about a 2026 timeline contained in documents from his own department presented to the House of Commons Public Accounts committee on April 29.
The documents were part of Indigenous Services Canada’s (ISC) detailed action plan in response to an Auditor-General’s report that found drinking-water advisories remain a constant for many communities, with almost half of the existing ones in place for more than a decade.
The documents said ISC will continue to work with First Nations to implement projects that address needs for all communities affected by long-term drinking-water advisories, and note an expected completion date of March, 2026. No explanation for the date was included.
In Question Period on Wednesday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh raised the issue of clean drinking water for First Nations, and asked why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau keeps “breaking promises to Indigenous people.” Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde also tweeted that First Nations should have clean drinking water in a country as rich as Canada. He also called on the federal government to immediately explain the timeline to Canadians and First Nations leaders.
In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Mr. Miller said the date in the ISC documents stems from a commitment the government has made to one community for its long-term needs, although he said he could not specify which one out of respect for the First Nation.
Mr. Miller said the First Nation is scheduled to lift its long-term drinking water advisory in the next couple of months, but Ottawa has also committed to infrastructure projects that will span the next few years. The government’s commitment to First Nations goes far beyond the lifting of long-term drinking-water advisories, he added.
In the 2015 election campaign, Mr. Trudeau promised a Liberal government would eliminate all long-term advisories for First Nations by 2021, and March was later set as the target month. But in December, Mr. Miller said that was out of reach. Up until this point, ISC had not indicated a new date for when advisories can be lifted. The department also said the pandemic added to challenges with infrastructure projects.
ISC’s website said that as of April 9, there were 52 long-term drinking-water advisories in 33 communities. Some places have more than one. Mr. Miller said on Wednesday the government hopes a number of them can be lifted in the next construction season.
The minister said even one long-term drinking-water advisory in a First Nation is unacceptable, and yet there are many. He said the challenge for the government is to ensure it is investing in priorities the communities have identified, including new facilities, expansions and a long-term commitment to operations and maintenance.
“When it comes to communities, we’ve made the effort to be quite clear to Canadians and Indigenous peoples that we continue to be dedicated to it well past March, 2021, and well past 2026,” he said.
Long-term advisories are those that have been in place for more than a year. They are issued by First Nations when tests show their water is not safe to drink. The communities themselves decide when to lift an advisory, and Ottawa says helping them reach that point is a complex process. Federal officials say they work with communities to address health and safety issues and ensure water-treatment facilities are properly operated and maintained.
Mr. Miller’s office has said every community that still has a long-term drinking-water advisory has a project team, an action plan and people dedicated to getting it lifted.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, the head of an umbrella organization representing 49 First Nations in Northern Ontario, said in an interview that community members have been so patient as they await the chance to have clean water. He said 13 communities in NAN are on long-term drinking-water advisories, including Neskantaga First Nation, where an advisory has been in place for more than 25 years.
“It is a human rights issue. We shouldn’t have to worry about our children not being able to access clean, safe drinking water, especially during this pandemic.”
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