Keeping water in the public domain was at the heart of a motion from a City of Powell River councillor.
Speaking at the Thursday, August 20, council meeting, Councillor Russell Brewer introduced a three-part recommendation governing the city’s stewardship of water.
The first part was that the city recognizes the human right to water.
Additionally, Brewer wants the city to promote and support public and non-profit ownership and operation of water supply, water treatment and wastewater treatment services in the community.
The final component was for council to call upon the federal government to fulfill its responsibility to support municipal infrastructure. This would be done by investing in a national water infrastructure fund that would address the growing need to renew existing water infrastructure, including that related to drinking water and wastewater, and build new systems in a manner that ensures continued public ownership.
Related to the final component, Brewer noted that earlier in the council meeting the city had received a letter of refusal from the federally- and provincially-sponsored Building Canada Fund to partner in replacing the water main from Haslam Lake, which is where the city acquires its drinking water. Brewer said that given the letter, it appears the federal government is falling down a little bit on its support for water infrastructure.
Brewer recommended that everyone on council support the motion. He suggested if the motion passed that it be sent to the federal minister responsible for infrastructure.
Councillor Maggie Hathaway also suggested that the city create a motion for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ annual general meeting.
Mayor Dave Formosa said he was going to vote in favour of the motion but with some reservation.
“This is a motherhood issue,” he said. “If I vote against it I look like I don’t care about water and I don’t care about people.”
Formosa said the first statement in the preamble to Brewer’s motion was that water belongs to no one.
“Well, tell the government that,” he said. “There are water licence fees for this and water licence fees for that and such.”
The mayor said he understands, however, that all communities needing water should receive help and in some cases they are not. That issue is apparent in Lund.
Formosa said with regard to Powell Lake, with all that “fresh, beautiful water” being sent out into the ocean, there are communities that would be able to use that water.
“Do we give it to them for free? I would rather give it to them for free if they need it than watching it go out into the salt water. Powell Lake is just releasing water into the ocean.”
Brewer said the motion wouldn’t preclude economic opportunities for the city or non-profit groups. He said the intent was to avoid situations where control over water licences could be lost over some arrangement with a private entity. He said that is a situation the city absolutely wants to avoid.
“I think it’s a prudent, proactive, somewhat protectionist resolution that doesn’t preclude opportunities for non-profit groups, or ourselves” Brewer said.
Council carried the recommendation unanimously.
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