Photo by Julie Picken-Cooper
The Council of Canadians Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Centre Wellington and London chapters were at the Wellington Water Watchers-organized Waterstock gathering in Erin (about 80 kilomtres north-west of Toronto) today.
Centre Wellington chapter activist Diane Ballantyne has posted on Facebook, “It was a spectacular day working with progressive organizations, eating amazing food and listening to some awesome music!”
The promotion for the event highlighted, “Waterstock is the rallying point to send a strong message to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to protect water against corporate control and exploitation. …Waterstock promises to be a bold, impactful, and historic day full of artisanal food and beverage, music, artistic displays and protest.”
It also noted, “Nestlé and other large corporations have exploited outdated provincial water taking bylaws that were originally intended for agricultural and value-added industrial use. Water is sacred but is becoming rapidly commoditized, ‘bottled’, and shipped around the planet for great profit, (to return, if ever, to our watersheds packaged in a piece of plastic.) …Over 20,000 Ontarians have spoken clearly in support for the Province to take action. It is time to take a stand and be stewards of our farmlands and aquifers. Your participation is essential for success.”
The proceeds from Waterstock will go to covering the costs of the event, continuing the campaign to keep water public, and to support the Chippewa on the Thames legal challenge to uphold Canada’s duty to consult requirement on the Line 9 pipeline which traverses Chippewas territory.
The Council of Canadians joins with Wellington Water Watchers in opposing Nestle’s application to renew its permit to take 3.6 million litres of water a day from a well in Aberfoyle (that permit expired on July 31, 2016 but Nestle continues to extract water under the terms of that permit) and its application to renew its permit to take 1.1 million litres of water a day from a well in Hillsburgh (that expires on August 31).
To add your name to our online pledge to Boycott Nestle, which has now been signed by 52,278 people, please click here.
#BoycottNestle
