Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Water is one of the most critical and essential resources that we have. Here in the Northwest Territories we are fortunate to have some of my best quality of fresh water in the world. I also would like to say our government has an acceptable strategy to provide water reservoirs for our communities. Even with this abundant resource right at our doorstep and creation of large water infrastructure systems, people still have trouble accessing good quality drinking water. This is the case in Jean Marie River for residents have been dealing with discoloured, mineral-like tasting water for some time. They no longer drink the water that comes from the community reservoir. Instead they rely on bottled water at great expense and cost.
They ensure that trips for groceries to Fort Simpson include a good week’s supply of purchased water. This is necessary for them.
Mr. Speaker, the water has been tested over and over again. The people of Jean Marie River have been told that the water is good. It does meet the requirements of the NWT Public Health Act and the guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality, but, Mr. Speaker, they aren’t drinking the water because they don’t trust it. The bottom line is don’t tell people their water is good if they are not drinking it. I say work with the community towards quality water that they can use daily and that they can trust. The community is looking for some innovative short-term solutions until the problem can be resolved on a permanent basis. There are a number of ways people could have access to clean tap water, like filters on their taps or trucking in water from another source. At the same time the community needs the systems from the government to identify a strategy to address their drinking water and to resolve this issue for the long term.
Mr. Speaker, the 15th Legislative Assembly passed
a motion on the right to water. It stated, and I quote, “Water is integral to the ecological, social, cultural and economic fabric of the health of the Northwest Territories. Water is a renewable resource that, if managed wisely, will sustain the people and the ecosystems of the NWT far into the future.”
Mr. Speaker, that right extends to good quality drinking water for our residents. I urge the government to work with the community of Jean Marie River to take action to resolve this problem. Mahsi cho.