The recent drinking water advisory in the Town of Little Current saw homes and businesses forced to resort to bottled water for several days. In the case of businesses, many had to shut down during a busy summer season weekend—losing custom that cannot be recovered.
While the challenges of not having access to clean water over the course of a summer weekend hardly compares to that of many First Nations who still do not have consistent access to clean and safe drinking water, it provided a glimpse into what those communities face.
It was to The Expositor’s dismay to learn that the length of the advisory was, in large part, due to an administrative holdup at Public Health Sudbury and Districts. It seems that the person who was on call during that weekend did not have the authority to lift the advisory once such was put in place. It was reportedly three hours before the person in authority was contacted and informed of the clear test results.
Having down time is an important part of keeping staff productive and efficient, and budgetary constraints may mean that staff are often limited in numbers, but gambling that no issues will crop up should never be in the cards. It is local businesses and the economy that take the hit—never mind the inconvenience and stress that a drinking water advisory incur—especially an unnecessarily long one.
“Water is life.” It is a phrase that those living in close proximity to First Nations communities probably hear far more often than isolated urban dwellers, but it is one that is held deeply by Indigenous communities. So much so, that individuals such as Water Protectors Josephine Mandamin baa and her niece Autumn Peltier have devoted their lives to bringing awareness of the plight of the water in this country.
Indigenous youth understand the importance of water, as The Expositor witnessed this weekend during the annual Wiikwemkoong Cultural Festival when a young kwe in jingle dress regalia stopped to pour a small libation out of her water bottle to honour the water before drinking. The manner in which the act took place made it clear this was not something done for the benefit of the observer, but rather an instinctive action. The young dancer had no way of knowing she was being observed. Her action was quick, unobtrusive and natural.
Water is life and access to clean drinking water should be a right. It is not something that should be gambled with, nor should the institutions we have in place to ensure that water is safe and accessible gamble with the economies of small rural/urban communities. Especially not during one of the most critical times of the year for the sustainability of their operations—Island businesses face enough challenges as it is, thank you very much.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts does a laudable job the vast majority of the time, but the administrative hurdles present during the busy summer tourist season must be remedied. Delays such as those experienced during the recent drinking water advisory must be dealt with quickly.
