Welland, Ontario is now a blue community!
The city of Welland is located in southern Ontario, about 25 kilometres of west of Niagara Falls, situated between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. It has a population of just over 50,000 people.
On November 6, 2012, Welland City Council voted to “support the recognition of water as a fundamental human right”, “continue to promote publicly financed, owned and operated water and wastewater services” and “continue to support the provision and promotion of municipal tap water at all municipal event and municipal facilities by offering municipal tap water only, at all but vendor locations (and) to discontinue the practice of providing bottled water at meetings and events at City Hall where practical.”
While our resolution continues to call for “banning the sale of bottled water in public facilities and at municipal events”, it is an important first step and an acceptable alternative resolution for the City for now to commit to “provide and promote municipal tap water at all municipal events and facilities and to stop the provision of bottled water at City Hall meetings and events”.
Welland becomes the 12th blue community in Canada (there are six blue communities each in Ontario and British Columbia). The Council of Canadians recognizes and appreciates the work of youth activist Robyn Hamlyn in bringing this initiative forward to Welland City Council.
To help make your community a blue community, please see the information provided at http://canadians.org/bluecommunities.
