"100% Community Control Over Our Shared Home Waters"
What does this mean?
Right now, many of the decisions affecting our shared local home waters are made far away by the provincial or federal governments in Victoria or Ottawa, frequently without meaningful community involvement or respect for the rights and title of local First Nations. These decisions are heavily influenced by the big corporate lobbies.
The goal of 100% community control over our local home waters means returning the power centre to the people closest to the impacts of these decisions. It means upholding Aboriginal Rights and Title, and that every decision made about our local rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater should involve the communities that share these home waters.
It means that we, local community members, are put at the centre of decision-making. We are given the information to decide and the power to implement. Fresh water is the ultimate public resource, essential to not only human life but to all of nature. How we manage and respect fresh water is a true reflection of our local democratic responsibilities.