ChathamThisWeek reports, “Chatham-Kent is considering a plan that would ban the sale of bottled water at municipally-owned facilities and at municipal events. In addition, the municipality is looking at recognizing water as a human right, and at promoting publicly-financed, owned and operated water and waste water services. Council directed administration to study the proposals after listening to a presentation on the Blue Communities Project by Robyn Hamlyn, a 14-year-old Kingston resident.”
“The teen’s presentation was greeted with applause by members of the audience as well as from council members. …While Chatham-Kent already owns and operates drinking and waste water systems, the municipality still needs to recognize water as a human right and ban the sale of bottled water at municipal facilities and events in order to be certified as a blue community. Council voted unanimously to have administration report back with a community strategy.”
Today, an op-ed in the Chatham Daily News notes, “(Hamlyn’s) presentation caught the attention of Nestle Waters Canada, which obviously has an interest in selling bottled water. A spokesman calls Hamlyn’s request a Trojan horse under the guise of human rights, while highlighting the fact that CUPE is backing the Blue Communities Project… as if the union’s involvement is somehow sinister.” A letter by CUPE president Paul Moist responding to Nestle’s comment can be read at http://cupe.ca/paul-moist/paul-moist-union-counters-nestles?utm_source=CUPE+Mailing+Lists&utm_campaign=1862fc5987-cupetoday&utm_medium=email.
Nestle has also (unsuccessfully) opposed Victoria and Nanaimo becoming blue communities.
For more, please read:
NEWS: Chatham-Kent studying becoming a blue community
Meet the 13-Year-Old Girl Taking on Bottled Water
UPDATE: Toronto chapter water forum a success!
UPDATE: Nestle doesn’t like Bottled Water Free Day nor the Blue Communities Project
