I wholly support the…

I wholly support the extension of the moratorium. However, the year in which the moratorium covers needs to be used to develop stronger water policy, particularly related to groundwater and drinking water. As a young person living in a town where my local water resources are threatened by big business and industry, I am truly concerned about the future supply of potable water in my township. According to our townships Interim Water Supply Master Plan, our town will be in a water defecit by 2026 (Water Supply Master Plan, 2018). I don't want to live in a township where my children may turn on the tap and nothing comes out. Clean drinking water MUST be reserved for future generations and seen as a human right for ALL. Prioritizing a multinational business' needs over that of Ontario residents is a serious concern for me, and I believe that a government that choses to do so is not 'for the people', quite literally. Additionally, Indigenous access to clean and safe drinking water must be addressed. After visiting the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve myself, and learning that 91% of homes in the community are not connected to the water treatment plant (The Guardian, 2018). For the Chippewas of Georgina Island, they have constantly had on and off boil advisories. Thes are HUMAN BEINGS who have resided in this province much longer than any of 'us', or these multinational companies who would like to steal their water. Indigenous people believe water is sacred and belongs to no one, while certain corporations see it as a commodity to be monotized. I cannot emphasize enough that water needs to be preserved for Ontario residents, period. With the unpredictable impacts of climate change, future water levels will be threatened. Farmers will have to rely more on irrigation with decreases in rainfall (IPCC, 2014), meaning more pressure on municipal and groundwater systems. Again, it seems reckless to allow a huge company to take millions of litres of water from multiple wells across Ontario, when we are uncertain of our future. What mess could we be making for future generations? Finally, there needs to be policy that incorporates all the concerns addressed above. Policies that prioiritize Indigenous needs and relations, municipal needs, and ecological functioning under the threat of climate change. It is ridiculous that the goverment of Ontario is currently allowing water to still be extracted for nine EXPIRED permits from seven different bottling companies (CBC, 2018). Huge oversights like this must be rectified in new, stronger policy, that puts emphasis on water protection and reserving water as a human right.