Saint Paul University in Ottawa is now formally recognized as a Blue Community. Maude Barlow was the keynote speaker at a special event on January 24th, 2024, where Saint Paul University received the official Blue Community certificate.
There are now 104 Blue Communities designated worldwide, covering a total population of over 25 million people. The growing number of municipalities, schools, faith-based groups, and other kinds of communities that have adopted principles that treat water as a common good, one that is shared by everyone and the responsibility of all, shows a growing sense of responsibility in Canada. This burgeoning movement is an important counter to the constant pressure from big business to privatize water infrastructure and commodify water resources.
The Blue Communities Project encourages municipalities and communities to support the idea of a water commons framework by passing resolutions that:
- recognize water and sanitation as human rights;
- ban the sale of bottled water at community-managed facilities and events; and
- promote publicly owned and operated water and wastewater services.
As part of the designation process, Blue Communities also develop action plans to engage with their members about these principles through popular education and also in tangible ways such as installing new water fountains and refill stations.
Saint Paul University joins a growing group of Blue Communities on campuses across Canada, including St. Michael’s College, Regis College, and Victoria College at the University of Toronto, McGill University and both Huron and Brescia Colleges at the University of Western Ontario. Many of them have been reaching out to other universities and several more campuses have begun working towards being designated as Blue Communities.
You can find more information on the Blue Communities Program here on our website.
If you are planning to seek designation for your own community, please let us know! Reach the Council of Canadians at bluecommunities@canadians.org.
