The fight against for-profit water extraction in Ontario has taken a new turn. The Ford Conservatives are proposing to bypass the current regulations that require new applicants to undergo a full review of groundwater extraction for bottling. Instead, they want to simply grant a new permit based solely on a previous approval given to a different company.
Last November, we celebrated as the giant multinational BlueTriton announced they would wind down their operations at Aberfoyle and Hillsburgh by January 2025. The company was taking over 600 million litres of water per year, and their permit allowed extraction at twice this volume annually until 2026, before their decision to end operation. BlueTritan had taken over the well sites from Nestlé, which withdrew in 2021 after years of community campaigning against their water bottling practice.
Now, a new corporation is seeking to take over and continue bottling water for profit. White Wolf Property Management (Ice River) has bought the wells, and the new proposed regulation seems “custom-made” for them to ramp up production. The Council of Canadians and local community groups are strongly opposed to this change.
Stay tuned for next steps.
