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Long-term drinking water advisories in Red Earth, Poundmaker lifted

Apr 9, 2018 | 10:00 AM

Three Saskatchewan Indigenous communities had long-term drinking water advisories lifted recently, including the Red Earth and Poundmaker Cree Nations.

March saw the Federal government make headway on a promise they made earlier this year. Jane Philpott, minister for the Department of Indigenous Services of Canada, pledged to rescind all drinking water advisories on reserves by 2021.

“Everyone in this country deserves access to clean drinking water,” Philpott said in a statement. “We remain on track in our commitment to lift all long-term drinking water advisories on public systems on reserve by March 2021.”

Additionally, Cowessess First Nation saw a long-term advisory lifted. Buffalo River Dene Nation and Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation saw short-term advisories “that were at-risk of becoming long-term” lifted according to the federal government. Since November of 2015, at least 57 on-reserve drinking water advisories which had lasted at least one year were lifted. In the same time period, 30 water advisories have been added to the national list. One short-term advisory, in Big Grassy River First Nation in Ontario, became a long-term advisory in March. According to the federal government, there are currently 78 long-term drinking water advisories affecting public systems on reserve.