What now?

There are a handful of options for the Canadian government and for First Nation tribes.  The first option is for the Canadian government to take action and responsibility for the poor health conditions on reserves.  However, in order for this to occur, an estimated 4.7 billion dollars over the next ten years must be invested according to the National Engineering Assessment  rather than the 5 million dollars spent annually for drinking water safety problems.

 Is it likely that the Canadian government will invest all the time and money necessary to upgrade these facilities in these remote areas?  It is difficult to say as Health Canada and the public are likely not wanting another water disaster like in Kashechewan, however these upgrade will cost a lot and will most likely hike up Canadian taxes.


The alternative to government intervention is privatization of municipal water facilities on first nation lands.  This would take the responsibility away from the government and into the hands of corporations.  A handful of politicians in the federal government prefer this option as they view as a quick fix and beneficial to first nations.  One the other hand, it is risky placing this basic need of clean water in the hands of corporations because there really is no accountability on their part for providing affordable services to first nations.

So far the discussion of water quality on first nation lands is still in the works, as data is still being released and the government is still talking about what needs to be done.  However, it is clear that this is a major issue, and simply slapping a water advisory on a community is a temporary fix, a mere bandaid on open gash.  The government needs to act in the interest of the first nations and provide quality municipal facilities.