The Regina chapter of the Council of Canadians and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 21 will be screening the documentary ‘Water Makes Money’ on Sunday February 24 at 2 pm at the Artesian (at 2627 13th Avenue) in Regina. The next day, they will also be making a presentation to Regina City Council in opposition to the proposed P3 wastewater plant.
Last Thursday, CTV reported, “Regina’s executive committee has voted in favour of entering a public-private partnership to fund upgrades to the city’s aging wastewater treatment plant….Under the proposed 30-year agreement, a private firm would design, build, finance, operate and maintain the plant. …City council will consider the proposal at its next meeting on Feb. 25. …Regina Mayor Michael Fougere noted that the city must adopt a P3 approach to be eligible for up to $58.7 million in federal infrastructure funding. …Fougere says the aging plant must be upgraded to meet stringent new provincial and federal regulations. Construction is slated to begin in 2014 and is expected to wrap up by the end of 2016.”
At that executive committee meeting, CKOM reports, “Jim Elliott, speaking for the Council Of Canadians, expressed concern about the seemingly-growing willingness on the city’s part to look at P3s. He feels companies only enter the agreements because they offer guaranteed profits at the expense of taxpayers.”
‘Water Makes Money’ is a documentary highly critical of how private corporations view water and public-private partnerships as a way to make money. It features an interview with Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow. In Canada, the Winnipeg chapter of the Council of Canadians screened the film on March 22, 2011, during its campaign against Veolia’s ‘partnership’ with the city’s wastewater utility. On April 10, 2012, the Council of Canadians, CUPE, and the Richmond Food Security Society screened the film in Richmond, British Columbia.
For more, please read:
NEWS: Regina’s executive committee unanimously backs P3 wastewater proposal, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=19355
NEWS: Regina to debate P3 wastewater plant, February 13, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=19287
UPDATE: ‘Water Makes Money’ premieres in Europe, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=4052