Save Our Water

June 8 is World Oceans Day, the United Nations day for celebrating the role of the oceans in our everyday life and inspiring action to protect the ocean and sustainably use marine resources.

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An outrageous event is happening in North America. Suddenly, in the United States, water is being sold and traded as a commodity for profit.  We should have seen this coming.  For years now, right under our own noses here in Canada, Nestlé, for example, has settled in places such as Wellington County.  They have pumped zillions of gallons of precious groundwater, bottled it in plastic, paid nothing for the water but only a pittance levy of $503.71 per million liters, and sold it back to Canadians and around the world at a shocking price.

Quietly at first, but unable to tolerate what was happening to their precarious water, a group of concerned citizens in Wellington County gathered and began their work to stop Nestle’s water grab on their land.  Naming their new initiative, Save Our Water (SOW), the members who are all volunteers, thoroughly studied the water situation and enlisted Kelly Linton, the energetic Mayor of Centre Wellington.  Backed by municipal membership, the group became experts in groundwater supply and protecting it at all levels.  Since water taking is a provincial responsibility, their stewardship of local water reaches all the way to the provincial legislature where they have ready access to discussing the long-term negative impact of water extraction with politicians. (Join the Fight)

The Save Our Water initiative and the growing involvement of concerned citizens and water protectors is proving to have a successful impact.  Last month I had the privilege of being on a Zoom call of over 125 concerned citizens sponsored by Wellington Water Watchers for an update on the new moratorium on taking bottled water from Wellington County’s groundwater.

The Save Our Water volunteers, Mayor Linton and council of Centre Wellington as well as increasing numbers of concerned citizens have been the push behind Nestle’s recent withdrawal from Canada.  With one voice, they acclaim, “We are not a willing host for bottled water”.

There is still much for Save Our Water to do concerning the preservation of priceless water in Wellington County.  Vigilant oversight lies ahead as the area is projected to double in size by 2041 and the local Middlebrook well has been purchased for 4.3 billion by big companies, including some in the USA. 

Throughout the intervening years, Save Our Water will be there, studying, advocating, and influencing the rest of the world who come to them for advice as they are already doing.  Every local level in every municipality in North America needs a Save Our Water group to protect precious water and battle to ban water as a commodity. There is an urgent cry across nations: access to clean, potable water is a human right.

-Sister Jean Moylan, csj

The Sisters of St. Joseph are proud to be a BLUE COMMUNITY so that we can protect water as a shared commons, sacred gift, and human right.

 www.saveourwater.ca

 Learn about their current campaigns

TAKE ACTION!

Going Electric

Our Sisters of St. Joseph’s London, Ontario LEED building with its emphasis on everything sustainable, recyclable, and reusable is now over thirteen-years-old.  We compost and shun plastic bottles. Recently, we became a Blue Community, espousing water as a human right and all that such an endeavor requires. Since the 2007 opening of our residence, our staff has embraced these climate-friendly efforts and often practice them at home.

Victoria, RPN

Last week, as I sat comforting a dear friend in our care centre, Victoria, one of our RPNs, announced that she and her husband Josh are awaiting the arrival of their newly purchased electric car.  Her excitement was palpable as she thought about the amount of time and effort that they put into making this decision.  After explaining that the 2021 Ford Escape electric SUV is somewhat more expensive than a fuel-driven vehicle, she stated how important it is for them to invest in this electric model due to ever-increasing climate change.

Victoria eagerly outlined the unique features of the couple’s new purchase. As is no surprise, the vehicle needs to be plugged into an electric outlet every night.  A full, all-night charge provides 380 kilometers of carefree travel.  Of course, the battery is recharging during driving, braking and coasting.  Not only is the Escape pollution-free but it’s gas-free as well.

Victoria’s new vehicle has another neat, new technological feature.  The SUV is so quiet, that it has a beeping reversing signal system especially for pedestrian awareness.  In addition, if the electric vehicle driver follows too closely to the vehicle ahead of it, an automatic braking system will be activated.  For yet another perk, this SUV can parallel park by itself!  I have no doubt that when the happy couple finally receives the much in demand electric Ford Escape in February, even more exciting features will be revealed. 

Well before Victoria and Josh considered purchasing an electric vehicle, they were already eco-friendly and reducing their carbon footprint. They use reusable grocery shopping bags plus reusable mesh bags for produce.  A Culligan water filtration system eliminates plastic bottles.  Stainless steel straws are a must and conscientious recycling, has reduced weekly garbage from three bags to one.  A composting initiative is on the horizon.

Victoria reflected that over the past five years, gradual adjustments to daily living have benefitted the couple’s lifestyle. They know that they are working to reduce climate change and create a healthier environment for their future children and the earth. Happy motoring Victoria and Josh!

-Sister Jean Moylan, csj

Blue Community Update

EARTH DAY EVENTS

Earthrise Screening Party with Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee

“Earthrise" tells the story of the first image captured of the Earth from space in 1968. This iconic image had a powerful impact on the Apollo 8 astronauts and the world. Told 50 years later, "Earthrise" compels us to remember this shift and to reflect on the Earth as a shared home. There will be time after the screening for a live discussion with Emmanuel and a moderated Q&A with the audience.

When: Apr 22, 2020 3:00 PM

Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HyUfD50sQ_CUbycTEw6bwQ

New 90 minute film: OUR WATER

Four friends kayaked around Lake Superior to help raise awareness of the pristine waters and landscapes they behold. Sharing stories and values of what makes our backyard to important to us and those that live with it. Ryan Busch will be live on Facebook to answer questions.

When: April 22, 2020 from 7:00-8:30 pm EST Watch the film and engage with the makers at: https://www.fourthewater.com/

ENCOURAGING NEWS

Council of Canadians Announcement In an email from Vi Bui (Blue Communities Coordinator for the Council of Canadians) announced:

I’m writing today to bring to you some good news. A few weeks ago, Vancouver City Council voted to become the second largest Blue Community in Canada… That means that one in four residents in British Columbia live in a community that has committed to protecting water as a human right, banning bottled water, and saying no to privatization of water and wastewater services.

See more here.

When youth carry the weight of the world

These young activists have proven to their communities and the world that there is no time like the present to make a change.

• 11 year-old Stella Bowles wanted to swim in the river near her home in Bridgewater, N.S. but it was contaminated. She took action. After a couple months, Bridgewater officials announced they would be funding $15.7-million to clean the rivers and remove the 600 straight pipes that were contaminating the waters.

• In her final year of high school, Emma-Jane Burian from Burnaby, B.C. plans climate justice strikes on the first Friday of every month.

• Known as a water protector, Makaśa Looking Horse is from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and fights for water rights – especially against Nestlé’s bottled water permits.

  Read the full story

Watch on Netflix/In the News

• Canadian actor Ellen Page brings attention to the injustices and injuries caused by environmental racism in her home province, in this urgent documentary on Indigenous and African Nova Scotian women fighting to protect their communities, their land, and their futures. From the TIFF website.

• The CSJ Blue Community project sponsored the documentary, There’s Something in the Water, for a Peterborough community screening. Now you can watch it on Netflix whenever you like.

• In related news, this CBC article updates us about the recent closure of a mill that polluted Pictou Landing for decades. This story is featured in the above documentary There’s Something in the Water. Read the full story

• While not specific to water issues, the privatization of long-term health care has dire consequences for the quality of care for society’s most vulnerable. Read the full story that is also playing out across Canada during this COVID-19 virus crisis.

PROJECT UPDATES

Public Health & the Right to Clean Water – a new blog post. The recent spread of COVID-19 across the world shows the gaps in our collective preparedness and many systemic and social inequalities. For instance, how do people wash and disinfect their hands without access to clean and affordable water? Read more

CSJ BLUE COMMUNITY UPDATE

Water News

There is a water justice Summit coming to London this fall. The Water is Life Alliance is hosting its next gathering at Western University on Saturday, September 28th. Speakers include: Maude Barlow, Lela George, Holly T. Bird, Claire McClinton, and more.   Find out more on their website.   REGISTER HERE

TV Ontario segment on drinking water crisis on First Nations reserves. See the video. From the TVO website: Water quality advisories are nothing new in Indigenous communities and Attawapiskat First Nation is the latest place to declare a state of emergency over water. The crisis highlights the long, rocky road still ahead for reconciliation. The Agenda welcomes Willow Fiddler, an APTN video journalist and Dawn Martin-Hill, academic director of the Indigenous Studies program at McMaster University, and Marc Miller, parliamentary secretary to the minister of crown-Indigenous relations, to discuss this issue.

Water Actions

Support the Water Doc Film Festival. No other film festival in Canada brings together so many water educators, activists, artists, organizations and protectors into one space to raise awareness and inspire action to protect water. See and share their fundraising page now reaching only 50% of their goal.

Any day now, Nestlé will have to submit a new application for a permit and you can bet it’s hoping to do so under the radar. But if we can make a huge stink now, we can pressure Ontario’s government to deny the permit and stop Nestlé’s greedy water grab for good. Sign and share the petition.

To learn more about water issues and to take action, visit the Blue Community website.

Catholic Women In A League Of Their Own

The Blue Community project was invited to speak at two Catholic Women's League events this past April. This adds to a recent presentation Sr. Linda Parent (CSJ) gave to CWL members in Windsor also in April.

Thanks to the collaborative contacts by many CSJ Sisters (notably Sr. Bonnie Chesser in Sudbury), Paul Baines was invited to present about this Blue Community project as an example for exploring and experiencing Pope Francis' Laudato Si': Care For Our Common Home.

CWL is celebrating its 99th year and wants to focus more on Laudato Si', especially the crises and call to action around water. What follows is a short summary of Paul's presentation with a link to all the slides at the bottom. A final thanks to the CWL leadership for inviting this Project into their 2019 agenda and for all their curiosity, care, and commitment. Stay tuned for more about this collaboration.

Our Blue Community project has several elements, one of the first being place -- place matters. It matters because Canada would not exist without land treaties with the Indigenous nations who have lived with these places for thousands of years. Place matters because we would not be here without the water. It not only surrounds us, but is within us. Let us honour this water and all the neighbours we share these lands and waters with. Since being forgotten can lead to marginalization, let's make the invisible more visible and remember that all of Creation needs our attention, not just humans.

To read the entire piece please visit our Blue Community Website