Water Not For Sale march in Edmonton, May 24

[Council of Canadians Edmonton]

Water Not For Sale March

Friday, May 24 starting at 10:30 am

Marching from Canada Place to the Alberta Legislature

Organized by Idle No More Edmonton-Treaty # 6

 

Facebook event pages:

https://www.facebook.com/events/586723621358198

https://www.facebook.com/events/646645352017011

 

The Alberta Government is currently working on policy that will place all of Alberta's water on a market. You know that pond in your land, that stream in your community?..The Alberta Government is going to stake claim in all of the water, and place it on a market. That means that pond behind your house, you will have to pay to use that water, but if someone has more money and pays more for it, they can use it, whether that be Cenovus, Statoil, you name it, the highest bidder will have much control over the water. In 2006 the first ever water market was created in Canada..guess where? Southern Alberta, in Treaty 7 territory.

 

Now the plan is to place all of Alberta on a water market. Water is not a commodity, it is not to be sold, and no one owns the water, we are all given it for life. All living beings require water for survival. Water is a human right, one which the Alberta Government is currently trying to control.

 

In this proposed policy which is being said will come out in the fall of 2013, there are certain people who have first rights to water. It is called FITFIR, FIRST IN TIME, FIRST IN RIGHT. In 1894 a system was set up to encourage settlers to settle in Alberta, everyone who settled was given a water licence, under this new policy, those people have first right to water, but with the water market, those original license holders can sell their water to whoever they want.

 

Make no mistake, the Alberta Government is setting up a system to make it easier for Industry to have access to large amounts of water. Industry contimates water until it is unusable, so there are massive amounts of water being taken out of surface and underground aquifers by FRACKING, SAGD, OPEN PIT MINING, COAL that takes the water and most not being returned, instead becoming poisonous toxic tailings.

 

On May 24 the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta is meeting in Edmonton to review policies, most of which i am sure none of you has not been made aware, consulted on, or even know about. One of those policies we are certain will be to privitize all water and place it on a market, with the highest bidder having control. In the proposed policy guess who has last rights to small amounts of water? First Nation people. and if you are not First Nation, please dont think you are in any better of a situation, you arent, If you are not a big company, chances are, you wont have any more rights to water.

 

On May 24th we will march from Canada Place to the Legislature to tell the Alberta Government that OUR WATER IS NOT FOR SALE. In UNITY. For all of our future. Please join us, your future literally depends on it. Hiy Hiy.

 

For background information on the Alberta government’s water review, visit www.ourwaterisnotforsale.com.