Claire Trevena
The Globe and Mail reports that, “North Island MLA Claire Trevena has joined with several environmental groups (including the Council of Canadians Campbell River chapter) to call for an environmental assessment of a water bottling proposal by the Kwiakah and Da’naxda’xw first nations and former gold mining executive Bill Chornobay, reports the Campbell River Mirror. The first nations have applied for water licences on 40 streams in Bute, Jervis, Toba and Knight inlets. The water would bottled in Vancouver and sold in upscale restaurants. Concerns have been raised about the daily collection of up to 25,000 gallons of water a day from each stream. ‘I am extremely concerned about the impact of these projects. Individually they may appear to some to be comparatively innocuous, but put together we are talking about a huge amount of water,’ Ms. Trevena says in a news release to the newspaper. ‘I have met with the Minister of Environment, Murray Coell, and hope that he looks at these plans as a whole, and orders a cumulative environmental assessment. We need accountability on this – not a quick survey.'”
In a statement posted on her website, Ms Trevena says, “Water is a precious resource and a human right. We have to protect against it being simply a commodity to be owned and traded.”
An earlier campaign blog – NEWS: Campbell River chapter opposes water bottling applications – is at http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=6322.
The Globe and Mail article is at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/bc-politics/wally-oppal-criticized-as-not-kamloops-enough-for-thompson-rivers-university/article1906991/.
More on Claire Trevena’s website at http://www.clairetrevena.ca/.
