Peepeekisis Cree Nation

Sask. adds another long-term water advisory; feds won't set new deadline for lifting them

Sask. adds another long-term water advisory; feds won't set new deadline for lifting them

As a First Nation in Saskatchewan got its second long-term drinking water advisory, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) said it won’t set a new timeline for lifting them. At a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, ISC Minister Marc Miller reaffirmed the government’s commitment to lifting the remaining 58 advisories in 38 communities. Eight remain across six First Nations in Saskatchewan. The oldest has been in place since 2008.

Lack of funding for piped water on First Nations in Sask. means some on reserves can’t drink from their taps

Lack of funding for piped water on First Nations in Sask. means some on reserves can’t drink from their taps

Rebecca Zagozewski, executive director with the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association, says cisterns can pose health risks to those who rely on them. She says the structures can have cracked lids, which allows all sorts of debris to get into them — including rats, mice, drowned puppies and garbage — and they’re often not cleaned properly. On top of that, she says the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association is concerned that there is no certification program for water truck drivers. The group wants to create such a program where drivers would have to be trained in how to keep the water safe and be held accountable if things go wrong. “Because right now there’s no accountability,” she says.

Boil water advisory lifted on Black Lake Denesuline First Nation after more than 7 years

Boil water advisory lifted on Black Lake Denesuline First Nation after more than 7 years

A boil water advisory on the Black Lake Denesuline First Nation that has been in place for more than seven years has been lifted, according to the Government of Canada. The long-term drinking water advisory (LT-DWA) was lifted on January 23. Nearly 200 homes and buildings in the northern First Nation such as the school, fire hall and band office now have clean drinking water from the local water treatment plant.