We have just received word from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities that, “After a healthy debate, the following resolution (sponsored by Toronto and London) has just been overwhelmingly adopted (only 3 people opposed) by the FCM Board of Directors:”
The resolution says:
“That FCM urge all municipalities to phase out the sale and purchase of bottled water at their own facilities where appropriate and where potable water is available; and That municipalities be urged to develop awareness campaigns about the positive benefits and quality of municipal water supplies.”
We have just issued a media release that says, “The Council of Canadians is claiming a decisive win today against the bottled water industry with the adoption by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) of a resolution that calls on Canadian municipalities to phase out the sale and purchase of bottled water in municipal buildings.”
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow says, “The FCM’s new policy opposing bottled water is a decisive victory for public water. This resolution sends an important message to the rest of the world about the leadership of Canadian municipalities in reclaiming water as a public resource.”
Council of Canadians water campaigner Meera Karunananthan says, “The bottled water industry has worked hard to undermine our faith in public water, despite Canada having one of the best public drinking water systems in the world. In an era when the world is dealing with the impacts of climate change, the bottled water industry requires massive amounts of fossil fuels to manufacture and transport its goods.”
Our media release also notes, “In June 2008 the US Conference of Mayors passed a similar resolution encouraging mayors to phase out city spending on bottled water and to promote the importance of municipal water. So far, 27 municipalities across Canada have phased out the sale of bottled water in their facilities. With the adoption of the FCM resolution, even more municipalities are expected to take similar actions in the coming months.”
Congratulations everyone!
