Water a human right and public trust
Open letter to Duncan and CVRD directors:
Water is an essential resource upon which all life depemds, and March 22 [was] World Water Day. It is our right and treasure, but shortages and advisories occur every season in this region and across Canada. Water extraction for bottling for profit threatens water tables that homes, farms, and businesses need. Billions of litres are now taken from B.C. and Ontario for big coroporate profits, despite concerms about local needs. This problem now threatens Merville, here on Vancouver Island.
Strathcona Rgional District has decided to act to protect their watersheds and call on the province to do the same. They have committed to zoning that discourages this practice. More important, they passed a resolution to call on the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development to stop licensing such extractive water permits. We officials and local stewards of this area should support this petition, now and when it is raised at the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
We should affirm that water is a human right and a public trust, so should stay under public control for the good of our communities. Many cities in Canada and around the world, have pledged to support public water instead of bottled water, and protect our limited precious ground and river fresh waters. Let us celebrate Water Day. Water is Life.
Laurel Circle and Council of Canadians
Duncan
