As noted in our April 30th e-newsletter, Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter made a surprise announcement at the CUPE-NS convention earlier this week, saying he would ban the purchase of bottled water in all provincial buildings. The details of the ban have not yet been released, but once implemented this will be the first provincial bottled water ban – and one that we hope will be repeated across the country.
“It’s really great to work in a province that is willing to take leadership on this issue,” said Angela Giles, Atlantic Regional Organizer for the Council of Canadians. “This is a first step towards committing to access to potable water, through fountains and investment in public municipal services, for all communities in Nova Scotia. We hope other provinces will see this as the way to go.”
The Council of Canadians is part of the “Turn on the Tap, Ditch the Bottle Coalition,” which works in Nova Scotia to promote restrictions on bottled water sales in cities and throughout the province.
Council chapters have also been actively involved in lobbying municipalities, school boards and provincial governments through our Blue Communities Project to promote public water services, demand that water be recognized as a human right, and restrict the sale and purchase of bottled water in public facilities. The Blue Communities Project is a joint project with CUPE and several other organizations.
Giles and national water campaigner Meera Karunananthan toured the Atlantic region with CUPE last year to encourage communities and local governments to become “Blue” by supporting public water goals.
To read our media release applauding the Nova Scotia bottled water ban go here, http://canadians.org/media/water/2010/27-Apr-10.html.
To find out more about the Blue Communities Project and how you can get involved go here, http://canadians.org/water/issues/Blue_Communities/index.html.
