Blog

Burlington city council votes to ban bottled water sales

April 2, 2009

The Burlington Post reported yesterday that, "Burlington may join a growing list of municipalities that have banned the sale of bottled water at city buildings. In a bid to lead by example in protecting the environment, politicians will tonight (Wednesday) debate a city staff recommendation to eliminate the sale of bottled water in city facilities."

Trade campaigner Stuart Trew reports this morning that he "spoke to Burlington Green at their March 12 event where the mayor and two councillors were present. Council last night unanimously endorsed removing bottles from city buildings..."

The unanimous vote by councillors last night to end bottled water sales on city properties means that a follow-up report will be written on the "key financial, environmental and community implications of such a program..." before a final vote on this issue.

Australian Water Network launched today

April 2, 2009

Today's media release from a new network says, "The Australian Water Network will link activists, academics and community groups from all over Australia who are working in their local communities and states on the water crisis facing this country."

Maude Barlow has been in Australia this week, and is there today for the launch of this new network.

She is quoted in their media release saying, "This is an historic day for Australia. Consecutive governments, both Federal and State, have yet to recognise and respond to the Australian water crisis with a cohesive plan. They rely on the false gods of private markets and energy guzzling technologies as the crisis deepens into a national emergency."

The Council of Canadians sends its best wishes to the Australian Water Network (and its convenors Bernard Eddy and Denis Wilson) and know it will play a vital role in the fight for the public control of water and in addressing the water crisis.

Gotlieb argues for the security and prosperity partnership agenda

April 2, 2009

Allan Gotlieb, a former Canadian ambassador to the United States and a supporter of the Security and Prosperity Partnership, writes in an op-ed in today's Globe and Mail that, "Just before President Barack Obama's visit to Ottawa six weeks ago, my colleague Michael Kergin and I expressed concern that the Canada-U.S. border was becoming a serious obstacle to the free flow of commerce and people. Accordingly, we urged Mr. Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to place at the very top of their agenda the establishment of new ways to modernize and liberalize our borders. We were relatively optimistic about the prospects for progress because there had been little mention of border issues during the presidential campaign..."

New WINS! section on our website

April 1, 2009

We have launched a new feature on our website that lists for our supporters and the broader public the ongoing political wins secured by the Council of Canadians, including those by Maude Barlow, chapter activists and staff.

You can see this new feature at http://www.canadians.org/join/wins.html.

If you go to this web-page you can simply click on the title, such as ‘WIN! FCM votes in favour of bottled water phase out (March 7, 2009)’, and you can read more about the particular win.

And please do remember to send us your chapter wins from your community!

PEI a leader in fight against bottled water

April 1, 2009

On March 21, the Ottawa Citizen ran a feature article titled, 'The Story of EAU', with the sub-heading 'From prestige product to health booster to environmental scourge, Joanne Chianello examines the backlash against bottled water'.

This article can be read at http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/story.html?id=1414398.

In response to that article, I wrote the following letter to the editor that was published earlier this week:

The Citizen's feature article on the "environmental scourge" of bottled water was excellent.