OPINION: Canada needs to dig deep and find the national will to fix the water crisis – by Tanya Talaga (Globe and Mail – December 4, 2020)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

The last time I saw Neskantaga First Nation Chief Chris Moonias was during a visit to his community, 430 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. I had just toured Neskantaga’s broken-down water filtration plant, which was in need of a new 600-pound pump.

Engineers and work crews were busy all along the shores of Attawapiskat Lake, installing the pump in an effort to resolve the longest boil-water advisory of any reserve in Canada.

Almost the entire community, meanwhile, had been evacuated to Thunder Bay. A few kind souls stayed behind to look after the dogs.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and I joined Mr. Moonias in his office after that tour. He had made the difficult decision to evacuate, and he was struggling to get the federal bureaucrats to give him any financial or humane support.

He shared a particularly disgusting call with one high-ranking civil servant, who told him to “boil your water for one minute” and then take a shower.

For the rest of this article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-canada-needs-to-dig-deep-and-find-the-national-will-to-fix-the-water/