Statement on World Water Day: The Nova Scotia Federation of Labour

As the saying goes, water is life, and we all depend on it. We had better pay more attention to this now more than ever. We cannot continue to take it for granted that good drinking water will flow when you turn on the tap. On this World Water Day, the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour stands with workers, families, and communities across our province and land, and we are calling for strong protection of our most precious resource, our drinking water. Here in Nova Scotia, safe and reliable public water is essential for drinking, sanitation and public health.

Our water is at risk of contamination, especially with the government’s latest push to drill baby drills. We are at risk of eliminating the fracking ban in our province. Lifting the ban and the possible danger to our healthy water is more than just a matter of policy or economics for rural communities. The situation is ripe for a crisis. When private companies are given free rein to exploit resources, working people, families, and communities will bear the actual costs of contaminated wells, poisoned rivers, and depleted groundwater will all leave families scrambling for safe alternatives, often at great personal expense. This is not fear-mongering; we have all seen the consequences of underregulated economic development. Can we trust it will all be done safely? I think not. Taking any risk of poisoning our drinking water is just not worth it. If a corporation comes here to extract a resource and your water becomes poisoned, will they guarantee you get water, not without a fight in the courts, a fight many families cannot afford? That is just a tiny piece of the damage that can be done with all the environmental risk potential of drill baby drill mentality. Correct me if I am wrong, but it’s not the government’s role to lead the way for corporations. Their job is to protect citizens from corporate greed and exploit our resources in a way that benefits us all without risk. Let us keep in mind that our friend to the south has his eye on our water, which means we have all the more need to protect our fresh water.

We should also understand that our indigenous communities in this wealthy country should never be without clean water or proper sanitation, some of which have had boil-water advisories for years. That is a glaring injustice. We have a job to do, and we must defend public water not just for conservation, equity, and justice but because it is a fundamental human right. We cannot allow deregulation, corporate greed, and short-term profit motives to jeopardize our free water. One last point: our public water systems, managed by municipalities and accountable to the people, are our best safeguard. Hats off to all our public-sector water and sanitation workers. When water is treated, no pun intended, as a public good, not a private commodity, we all benefit. We encourage you to join the movement, pressure the provincial government to prioritize water safety, and stop the drill baby drill idea that we will all be happier and more prosperous. Our drinking water needs to be protected. We must demand that our elected leaders keep people’s needs before profits. A healthier environment, stronger communities, and safer workplaces have always been the labour movement’s goals. The fight here is no different. Keeping water safe is not for sale, and we will not let it be put at risk.