Please see below an update from trade campaigner Stuart Trew.
Teri Strain of the Peterborough Water Action Group (WAG) informs us that the students at James Strath Public School are rejecting bottled water and promoting the tap!
The move was inspired by a recent showing of the film Blue Gold at the school arranged by WAG – a community water watch committee set up by the Peterborough-Kawarthas chapter of the Council of Canadians immediately after the Unbottle It! tour stop by Maude Barlow and Sid Ryan at the end of January.
A class at the school studied bottled water as a debate subject and “could find no positives,” writes Teri. “One of the things they want to do first is to ban the sale of bottled water at our school. They will be writing persuasive letters to the principal who is already aware this will be happening. He’s very supportive of the kids’ wish to get rid of the bottled water from our vending machines.
“So, it looks as though James Strath will be the first public school to support tap water and carrying one’s stainless steel or other water container,” says Teri, adding that “the kids also want to educate their peers and younger students about the dangers of bottled water, and why it is harmful to all living creatures.”
To date, six school boards across Canada have removed bottled water but it has been more difficult to convince trustees than city councillors of the benefits to tapping into public water. So a big congratulations goes out to the Peterborough water watch group for going to the students first and scoring a significant victory!
