The WaterWealth Project is a citizen-driven campaign amplifying the voices of local community members who love the waters that sustain their home
With WaterWealth and others gearing up for legal challenges and public campaigns to restore "sustainability" to the Water Sustainability Act, government shows signs that they will reconsider, and perhaps amend the Water Sustainability Regulation released February 29, 2016!
Just days before we planned to deliver the largest petition SumOfUs has ever done in Canada, over 225,000 signatures, Premier Clark and Environment Minister Polak announced that they will review the water rental rates that will fund the Water Sustainability Act!
The community was galvanized into action over the long weekend in May with news that the City was to decide at the Tuesday Council meeting whether to take an offer of $800,000 from Kinder Morgan, an offer made while the City is a participant in the National Energy Board hearing on Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Reaction was near unanimous that such an offer during the hearing was inappropriate, many characterizing it as a bribe. With the clear support of the community behind them, Mayor and Council were able to make the ethical choice and refuse Kinder Morgan's offer. Something other communities have failed to do, and which calls into question the participation (or rather the lack of it) of those communities in the hearing.
Gail Shea, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and Steve Thompson, BC Minister of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations had authorized a bizarre plan to dredge locations on McCallum and Mountain Slough far downstream of the problem. Work was begin possibly as early as 25 February but after a variety of people and groups intervened the plan was shelved!
May 6, 2015 Aevitas announced that it will not proceed with the hazardous waste facility on the banks of the Fraser! Heart-felt thanks to the many people and groups who played a role.
A project, based at Renison College at the University of Waterloo, to explore perceptions of policy wins and how they may change over time. This will be done through interviews with key informants, a survey of residents in the two communities, and a retrospective analysis of local and national news media.
Water is essential to all of us who make call BC home, but un-reconciled issues of First Nation's Rights & Title are a barrier to ensuring long-term water protection that we would all benefit from. We can't afford to make mistakes with water, so let's work together for all of us to have the pure, productive and healthy home waters we deserve. Check out this blog from WaterWealth Community Adviser Larry Commodore or listen to his interview at minute 18:16 on his CKNW interview here. Read More...
We need your help to protect the amazing wealth in the rivers, lakes and groundwater of the Heart of the Fraser.
We have the best drinking water in the world, an incredible diversity of animals and fish, and a rich lifestyle and local economy that depends upon the waters of this amazing region. With you on our team we can make sure it stays protected.