The proposed changes to the…

The proposed changes to the water permitting process will:

Strip municipalities of their power to determine what is best for their community;

Violate Indigenous Rights by eliminating consultation with Indigenous Nations; ( to which I am a member). Consultation is part of many of our treaty agreements.

Allow corporations to buy access to groundwater like real estate;

Eliminate an opportunity to reassess environmental impacts;

and prioritize private convenience over public and environmental safety.

I urge the ministry to:

Reject the proposed changes to permits to take water regulations;

Require new owners to apply for a new permit through a public, scientific, and Indigenous-informed review process;

Uphold the duty to consult Indigenous Nations as required by provincial and constitutional law;

and
Treat water as a public trust, not a private asset.

Water bottling is an irresponsible use of water. Water quality and quantity is already threatened in Ontario due to overuse and pollution. Water bottling is non-essential and hosts a list of problems and risks, such as discouraging investments in public drinking water systems and infrastructure, increasing plastic pollution, and contributing to the climate crisis due to reliance on oil and gas to produce the plastic bottles and the energy to pump the water. Water is life for ALL of earth's inhabitants. We cease to exist if we do not have access to sustainable and clean sources of drinking water