Kitchen Table Conversations for Water and Watersheds in BC
A water crisis caused by corporations
Although Canada is home to approximately one-fifth of the world’s total freshwater resources, water in this country is increasingly under threat. Corporations’ reckless pursuit of profit is releasing millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, changing the climate, melting glaciers and intensifying droughts. Industrial activities like mining, clearcut logging, fracking, pipeline construction, and water extraction for bottling and export are jeopardizing the supply of clean drinking water for future generations.
Safeguarding water for communities and ecosystems
At the Council of Canadians, we have a different vision for the future of fresh water. Inspired by Indigenous stewardship and in solidarity with the struggles of First Nations Water Protectors, we see water as a shared commons that must be managed for the long-term benefit of communities and ecosystems rather than corporate profits. We know that water is a human right, and that everyone should have access to clean, sufficient drinking water.
AN ELECTION OPPORTUNITY
With the BC provincial election coming up on October 19, 2024, we have an opportunity to show our political leaders that clean drinking water and watershed integrity should be a top priority for the incoming government. In an age of accelerating climate change and ecological emergency, we cannot continue to treat water as an infinite resource. It’s time for our leaders to step up and commit to a new paradigm in water protection and management that treats water as part of the commons.
Local organizing to protect water for future generations
Struggles over the future of water look different in each community. Many First Nations reserves are burdened by the toxic legacy of colonialism and resource extraction, leaving them without reliable access to clean drinking water. Communities across British Columbia are reckoning with the devastating impacts of clearcut logging, including soil erosion and flooding. In drought-stricken areas, dwindling water supplies are prompting hard choices about the future of agriculture and urban development. To address these issues together, we need to talk to our neighbours and get organized at the local level.
From kitchen tables to the streets
To build our movement, we’re working with local activists to host kitchen table conversations in communities around the province. The idea behind these conversations is simple: we gather together with a small group of people with similar concerns, share food and information about local water issues, and build our capacity to take effective action together. A kitchen table conversation helps lay the groundwork for ongoing local water activism.
Host a kitchen table conversation in your community
Are you ready to connect with people in your community and help shape the future of fresh water in BC? We have resources to help you get started, and our staff are here to offer support along the way.
- Click here to download our kitchen table conversations toolkit, which offers step-by-step instructions on how to organize a small gathering in your home or a public place.
- Once you’re ready to start planning your kitchen table conversation, fill out this form to register. This helps us keep track of all the events happening across the province and coordinate our growing movement.
- In addition to the toolkit and staff support, we have a mailing list for water activists where you can connect with your peers in other communities. This mailing list is a way for us to raise questions, share best practices, and learn from each other’s experiences. To sign up, please fill out this form.
- Planning to visit your local farmer’s market or other public event this summer? Print off some copies of this water pledge form to start building your network of local water activists.
Have questions? Send an email to bcwater@canadians.org to learn more about how a kitchen table conversation helps build our water movement.
1. Sign up to host or join a conversation:
2. Sign up for this mailing list to stay in touch with other water activists across BC:
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