In late-September, municipal leaders voted in favour of a ‘blue communities’ resolution at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities annual conference. Initiated by the City of Burnaby, the first blue community in Canada, the passing of this resolution shows dedication from municipalities all over British Columbia to support the idea of developing more blue communities.
There are three things a municipality must do in order to be recognized as a blue community. First they must recognize water as a human right. Secondly, they must ban the sales of bottled water in public facilities and at municipal events. And lastly, they need to commit to promoting publicly financed, owned and operated water and wastewater services.
The Blue Communities Project is a joint venture between the Council of Canadians and CUPE, and with Eau Secours in Quebec. There are presently three blue communities in the country, Burnaby and Victoria in BC, and Tiny in Ontario. More are expected in the near future.
To watch a short 1-minute video of the blue communities resolution passing at the UBCM convention, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YhMMvSd8uw.
To find out how to make your community a blue community, go to www.canadians.org/bluecommunities.
