Speaking Notes
for the Honourable Robert D. Nault, PC, MP
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
To announce the First Nations Water Management Strategy

Ottawa, Ontario
May 14, 2003

Check against delivery

Good morning.

Closing the gap in life chances between Aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians was a key feature of the last Throne Speech, and a commitment in the February 2002 Federal Budget.

As part of that commitment, ensuring a supply of clean, safe drinking water in First Nation communities is a key priority for the Government of Canada.

Today, I am pleased to announce that $600 million over five years in new funding will target improving the quality of water and wastewater treatment in First Nations communities.

A comprehensive on-site assessment of all First Nations water and wastewater facilities was undertaken by INAC, in collaboration with Health Canada.

The results have now been compiled and are outlined in the report entitled National Assessment of Water and Wastewater Systems in First Nations Communities.

This report has helped us identify areas that need to be strengthened.

The assessment provides information on the number of systems that meet federal water standards, as well as information on deficiencies and recommended improvements.

It has identify priority infrastructure upgrades.

It also led to the development of a seven-part First Nations Water Management Strategy, in partnership with Health Canada aimed at protecting source water from pollution, while providing effective drinking water treatment, and the distribution of drinking water.

This strategy elements include:

• upgrading and building water and wastewater facilities;
• effective water quality monitoring combined with a comprehensive and coordinated compliance and reporting regime;
• an effective and sustainable operation and maintenance program designed to ensure the quality of water supplies;• continued expansion and enhancement of operator training and certification programs;
• integrated water quality management protocols;
• a public awareness campaign targeted at First Nation Leaders, administrators and individual householders; and
• the establishment of a set of clearly defined standards, comprehensive protocols and policies.

The additional $600 million is aimed at accelerating this strategy's implementation.

Our plans require the establishment of partnerships with federal and provincial agencies to assist us with water-shed and source-water protection. These partnerships will also help us make advances in science and technology.

This work will build on what we have already done. Between 1995 and 2001, INAC invested more than $560 million to address urgent water and wastewater system upgrades.

This is in addition to the more than $100 million provided annually to support water and wastewater facilities in First Nation communities.

In the past year, an additional $86 million was provided to First Nation communities for water and sewer projects.

We continued our efforts in 2000-2001, with the expansion of support for operator training and certification.

This included the current Circuit Rider Training Program (CRTP), introduced in the mid-1990s to improve operation and maintenance of water facilities.

In fact, an additional $1.2 million for 2001-2002 was combined with regular annual allocations to allow INAC to expand the CRTP by an additional 163 operators, for a total of 469 water and sewer operators.

As well, the number of operators taking certification training and exams increased by nearly double, from 49 to 96.

This expansion of the CRTP continues. Expenditures of $5 million were made for operator training and certification last fiscal year - an additional $4.1 million has been committed for 2003-2004.

Health Canada invests $5 million annually to ensure drinking water quality monitoring programs are in place in First Nations communities.

With these additional resources, Health Canada will be able to

• increase the frequency of sampling and testing drinking water quality in First Nations communities to help meet nationally recognized standards;
• increase the number of First Nations communities that have portable laboratory kits for bacteriological sampling and testing; and
  
• provide training to remote and isolated First Nations communities to increase their capacity to monitor their drinking water quality and detect potential problems.

We want to reassure First Nation communities that we will continue to work with them, and other partners, including Health Canada and Environment Canada to ensure a sustainable and safe drinking water supply in First Nations communities.

Thank you.

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