Water:
Around 105 First Nations communities lack access to safe, clean drinking water in Canada. These are caused by years of underfunding. The water available contains a high content of metals such as iron and manganese. There are also bacteria such as E.Coli. This also causes extra costs to these communities because many do not trust the water and have to rely on bottled water among a large population.
Actions:
Over the years, more action is being taken by the government to solve this issue. Since 1995, some groups such as Neskantanga First Nations have been on boil advisory. Since the Liberal government announced in 2015 the goal to eliminate the advisories, attention has been placed on federally funded drinking water systems, which are larger community systems. This is not as efficient as about 73% of people still do not have any clean water to drink from which can spread water-borne diseases.
Teach others:
While many of these people are struggling, there are many people who do not understand the living conditions of some of these people. When there is no clean water present, it is difficult to fulfill basic needs for things such as hygiene. Educating others about the struggles some individuals can face can allow people to donate their time or money towards helping these causes. If we resolve this issue in the country of Canada, we will then be able to help solve the issue of unsafe drinking water internationally.
End Long-term drinking advisories:
While there has been some progress made to the issue, it still requires more time and attention. Since 2015, 119 drinking advisories were lifted; however, 41 drinking advisories are left. As time continues, more water-borne illnesses are appearing in some communities, which can impact future generations. Such projects take up to 3-4 years alone. Water is not a luxury, but a necessary human right.
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Recognize the importance:
While life gets busy, we often overlook the little things. Many of us have little pockets of gratitude to look at, such as necessities like water. Countries wealthy as Canada should not be facing this issue in this day and age. While these issues cannot be resolved overnight, to help out donating to the cause, reading more about the issue, and helping contribute to solutions can help improve the situations of our fellow Canadians. While not everything can be in our control, educating a person on this issue helps us stay aware of our surroundings and help us see how lucky we are. Small steps can help change the big picture and allow us to help globally as well.
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