GUELPH – The Wellington Water Watchers hosted the first Watershed 2020 digital convention on Sept. 26 – a six-hour online event featuring plenary sessions, workshops, working sessions, networking, performances and an Expo area featuring digital booths.
And they invited representatives from each of the four main political parties to answer 10 questions and speak about water protection.
Jeff Yurek, Conservative Minister of the Environment
Minister Yurek spoke to his party’s commitment to environmental protection while seeming to ignore the questions that had been submitted to him, officials say.
One member of the audience said “the minister missed an opportunity to speak to the interests of grassroots leaders and instead chose to read a briefing note.”
Minister Yurek did promise to extend the moratorium on new permits to bottle water until April 1, 2021, repeating his government’s commitment to require municipalities to consent to new permits to take water for bottling in their jurisdiction.
In a follow-up email, Yurek’s press secretary Andrew Buttigieg defended the government’s actions, saying funding has gone into measures to protect the Great Lakes – particularly Lake Erie – and consultation on the future of water-taking permits is ongoing.
“An independent third-party review by Professional Geoscientists Ontario validated the ministry’s findings that water-takings for bottling are managed sustainably in Ontario under existing legislation, regulation and guidance and that bottled water takings in Ontario are not impacting the sustainability of groundwater resources,” Buttigieg stated.
“This report was released to the public on the Environmental Registry, together with the proposed amendments.”
Ian Arthur, NDP environment critic
Arthur gave a presentation on the need to pass Bill 76, an Act to ensure that the laws of Ontario are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“This will change how we pass all legislation in Ontario and enable us to have the hard conversations we need to have,” said Arthur.
“There is a desperate need for better protections for the next seven generations.”
Lucille Collard, Liberal environment critic
Collard, who officials say addressed all 10 questions, agreed that Bill 76 is a concrete move towards reconciliation and said she looked forward to more discussion in the legislature.
Collard stressed that “water protection is everybody’s business and I would like to see more collaboration with municipalities, communities and First Nations.”
Mike Schreiner, Green Party leader
Schreiner said we all have a “sacred duty to protect water,” and suggested the moratorium on new permits to take water should become permanent.
“First Nations should be able to have the same input and place the same restrictions on water-taking permits as municipalities. Free, informed and prior consent should be part of the water taking permit process,” he said.
Schreiner said the Conservative government seems bent on dismantling the Environmental Assessment Act, facilitating urban sprawl and fast-tracking the GTA West 413 highway.
“I think the fact the government and all three opposition parties agreed to speak at Watershed 2020 confirms they know water protection is very important to people in Ontario,” said Rob Case, chair of Wellington Water Watchers and moderator of the session.
“We will continue to mobilize public opinion in support of these issues from now until the next provincial election and beyond.”
Watershed 2020 is the first annual convention of the People’s Water Campaign.
The People’s Water Campaign is a broad-based campaign to restore environmental protections for water security and help build the movement for water justice in Ontario, officials say.
– Report submitted by Wellington Water Watchers
