Scarcity, pollution, and deregulation are putting the country’s supply under siege
A recent article in The Walrus is challenging how Canadians think about water, and pointing out where the real risks to aquatic abundance may lie.
For years, concern over Canada’s freshwater supply has focused on external threats. Indeed, author Christopher Pollon opens his article with a scenario where the United States government decides to tap into Canada’s freshwater. Hypotheticals aside, we face a more urgent reality: the biggest threat to water in Canada is how we manage it ourselves.
Despite being seen as “water-rich,” Canada is already facing growing pressure on its freshwater systems. Much of our water is inaccessible, and the regions where most people live are dealing with overuse, pollution, and growing pressure from climate change. This is especially true for First Nations in Canada, where the lack of clean, safe drinking water is one of the greatest violations of the UN-recognized human rights to water and sanitation.
Maude Barlow, co-founder of the Council of Canadians, has long warned Canada cannot take its water for granted. “I call it the myth of abundance,” Barlow told the Walrus for the piece. “Canadians have this notion that we love our water—it’s in our history, it’s in our culture and music. But we have not taken very good care of it.”
This is why the Council of Canadians continues to fight for stronger water protections, an end to bulk water extraction, and recognition of water as a human right.
Canada is at a turning point. Protecting our freshwater starts with action at home. Learn more and take action to protect water in Canada today.
