The Council of Canadians London chapter is at the ‘Gathering on the Green’ today.
As noted on the event’s website, “Gathering on the Green is a free, fun day of activities and entertainment held every year on the first Saturday in June, rain or shine. The day gets underway at 10:00 a.m. and runs till 5:00 p.m. with live entertainment, kids activities, including mini-golf, face painting, games, a dunk tank, [Old South Community Organization’s] nearly famous all-day BBQ, and Charlotte’s Tea Garden. You’ll also find plant and craft vendors and community displays.”
Chapter activist Julie Picken-Cooper has posted on Facebook, “Gathering on the Green in Wortley Village … Council of Canadians London chapter is talking about WATER.”
In terms of water, the Council of Canadians asserts that:
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water is a human right -
existing permits for extracting water for bottled water should not be renewed -
water utilities should be publicly financed, owned and operated -
water should be removed from ‘free trade’ deals -
tar sands pipelines pose a serious threat to drinking water -
every lake and every river should be protected under a strengthened Navigable Waters Protection Act -
the Great Lakes must be recognized as a commons, public trust and protected bio-region.
We are also concerned that the Ontario government’s recent amendment to the provincial Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act opens the door to fracking in Ontario. The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has studied the amendment and comments, “Upon my review, it appears to me that parts of Schedule 23 are broad enough to be used to authorize fracking, although this may also be possible under the existing Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act.” We call on Premier Kathleen Wynne to clarify the language in Bill 127 and to implement a ban on fracking in the province of Ontario.
For more on our water campaign, please click here.