Editor:
On Tuesday, Sept. 21 Penticton city council will be voting on whether to accept what’s known internationally as the Blue Communities Project. The Blue Communities Project is about protection of our water commons, recognizing that water is a shared resource for all, by passing resolutions that:
1. Recognize water and sanitation as human rights.
2. Promote publicly financed, owned, and operated water and wastewater services.
3. Phase out the sale of plastic bottled water in municipal facilities and at municipal events.
The Blue Communities Project originated in B.C. in 2009 by the Council of Canadians. Vancouver, Burnaby, Victoria and other B.C. coastal cities, numbering over 25% of British Columbians, have adopted principles that treat water as a common good that is shared by everyone and is the responsibility of all.
The Blue Communities movement has grown internationally with Los Angeles, Paris, and Bern, and 70 other communities around the world going “blue.”
The Blue Communities Project is endorsed by First Things First Okanagan, Penticton’s local climate change action group of 600 subscribers, and by City Council’s Community Sustainability Advisory Committee. They see the value added of this community effort to protect our city’s resilience and sustainability into the future.
Write now with your support to the Mayor John Vassilaki, at https://www.penticton.ca/city-hall/contact-us/staff-directory/john-vassilaki.
Lynn Walford,
Penticton
