Most Canadians are not aware of the water crisis happening within the First Nations communities in their own country. I mean who would think that a water-rich, first-world country could have a water crisis. Surely they would have the resources to stop it?

Rest assured, they do have the resources. Alongside a strong pre-pandemic economy, Canada has 7% of the world's renewable water sources and 20% of the world's water. Yet 13.5% of First Nations people in all of Canada, and 40% in Ontario, do not have access to clean, safe drinking water.

This is the definition of injustice. Water isn't an issue anywhere else in Canada, so why are the Indigenous communities in Canada being denied such a basic human right? Why have they been neglected by the Canadian government for this long?

We should be raising issues with Canada's long history of systemic racism and negligence towards injustices towards the First Nations people (Highway of Tears, Residential Schools, the Indian Act). 

Some communities, like the Neskantaga and Kashechewan Reserves, have been under boil-water advisories for over 25 years. They were denied a basic human right for a quarter of a century. 

Admittedly, the government has recently put in more effort to end this crisis. They have put over 3 billion dollars into ending this crisis and between November 2015 and February 2021, the Trudeau Government was able to lift 99 boil water advisories. However, 58 boil water advisories (with varying levels of severity) still remain in effect within 39 communities.

Progress has been made, but we cannot ignore the communities that continue to be impacted by this crisis. We cannot grow complacent. We cannot ignore the fact that people still suffer every day because of this issue. 

I urge you to spread awareness on this issue and to continue to hold the Canadian government accountable for this injustice so that this country can head towards reconciliation.

Thank You.