Truth & Reconciliation – Canada and Clean Water
Two years ago, I came home from a Canada Day BBQ feeling somewhat stuck.
Maybe it was more a feeling of being unsure of what to do with this tension between the freedoms I felt as a Canadian, the gratitude I had for those freedoms, and the increasing awareness that, in this wealthy country we call Canada, many did not have access to something so basic as clean, safe water.
I wrote a blog post on it then, trying to educate myself on the topic.
Two years later, I find I am still a student, fumbling and in process with many of my thoughts.
As we approach Truth and Reconciliation Day, however, it seems important to unpack some truths, at least in part, if we’re going to figure out what reconciliation is to look like.
- In 2020, there were 51 reserves on boil-water notice. Today, it seems like that number is down to about 28. I think this is worth acknowledging the accomplishment while grieving that some of these have been in place for more than 25 years.
- “14% of First Nation communities are affected by a drinking water advisory,” and “25% of First Nation communities in Ontario are affected by a drinking water advisory.”
- Prime Minister Trudeau is far behind in his commitment to end the water crisis in Canada in 5 years. He acknowledges this truth, but his government is obviously challenged to reconcile with it.
We have strayed a long way from the Objibway call to “walk softly upon the earth.” The truth to reconcile that resonates most for me this year is the idea that we have so damaged the earth’s water that many of the First Nations who stewarded the land for centuries before us now must boil the water daily before drinking it. The very water they stewarded long before colonization.
The tragic irony is not lost on me, especially this year.
The word stewardship is complex and contextual. In our work in Uganda, stewardship and maintenance of the water systems we build is our biggest obstacle. According to the Indigenous-led water charity Water First, it seems to be among the most difficult challenges in Canada’s water crisis, too.
In ‘crass’ terms, it is not just a question of infrastructure but of training, maintenance, and availability of workforce. Funding for ongoing Operations and Maintenance – the unspectacular part is the critical piece. It mirrors our work so closely.
In perhaps more metaphorical terms, it’s the stuff of stewardship – just like the earliest of days, of walking softly on the earth. It’s the maintenance of the pipes that bring the water from the spring. It’s caring for the commons, it’s ensuring that all of us have the same access that one of us has.
How we steward our water today is at the heart of this truth and reconciliation day for me. Water represents life – metaphorically, spiritually, and practically. You don’t have to be a monk to unpack that one.
It’s not a gesture of charity (though it is charitable); it’s a fundamental human-to-human right. It’s the work of justice that we cannot wait for our Government to do, though we must encourage them to do it too, just like our tax dollars pay for roads, waterways for the rest of Canada, and more.
As one small act of truth and reconciliation, join with me in making a gift to WaterFirst – so that we may work towards a more reconciled Canada.