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NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Weather and atmosphere

Weather systems and patterns

There’s a saying among climate scientists: What happens in the Arctic doesn’t necessarily stay in the Arctic. That’s especially true when a sudden warming of the polar stratosphere -- the layer of the atmosphere just above the layer where we live -- in winter causes the Arctic jet stream to slow and wobble, spilling frigid air and extreme weather south over North America and Europe, often for weeks at a time.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Weather and atmosphere

Weather systems and patterns

The term jet stream is used increasingly in both weather forecasts and news reports of extreme events, from cold spells and flooding to heatwaves and droughts. But what is the jet stream, and why do we care about it so much?

Audience

Grade 3-5

Grade 6-8

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Marine life

Life in an estuary

Weather and atmosphere

Weather observations

At the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, a new community of students is getting their boots wet gathering data through a new program that serves the children of migrant farmers.

Audience

Grade 6-8

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Social Studies

Resource type

Career profile

Related story

Topic

Marine life

Fisheries and seafood

Celebrate the vital role that aquaculture plays in supporting our nation’s seafood production, creating year-round jobs, rebuilding protected species and habitats, and enhancing coastal resilience. Meet some of the experts working in this important and growing field.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Social Studies

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Climate change

Climate change impacts

Ocean and coasts

Sea level rise

Weather and atmosphere

Hurricanes

A key issue facing hurricane scientists and climate scientists is how Atlantic hurricane activity might be expected to change assuming the climate continues to warm over the coming century.

Audience

Grade 3-5

Grade 6-8

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Social Studies

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Climate change

Resiliency and mitigation

The Redlands Mesa area outside Hotchkiss, Colorado, is particularly at risk to wildfires, but with funding from NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Program, local high school students are taking action to tackle their community’s vulnerability to this hazard.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Social Studies

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Carbon cycle

Climate change

Global carbon emissions are projected to bounce back to after an unprecedented drop caused by the response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an annual report by the Global Carbon Project.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Carbon cycle

Climate change

Climate change impacts

Climate data monitoring

New research utilizes airborne measurements of carbon dioxide to estimate ocean uptake.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Carbon cycle

Climate change

Climate change impacts

Climate data monitoring

Carbon dioxide concentrations are rising mostly because of the fossil fuels that people are burning for energy.

Audience

Grade 9-12

College+

Adults

Subject

Earth science

Life science

Resource type

Topic

Climate

Carbon cycle

Climate change

Climate change impacts

Marine life

Coral reef ecosystems

Ecosystems

Life in an estuary

Seaweed and algae

Ocean and coasts

Earth processes

Read an interview with Ariane Arias-Ortiz, a 2019-2021 NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow at University of California Berkeley’s Biometeorology Lab. Ariane studies carbon storage in coastal saltwater and freshwater wetlands. Her work holds significant, immediate implications for reducing global carbon emissions through wetlands restoration.

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NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

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Welcome to our new searchable database of education resources created by NOAA and our partners.

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Indicators | Watershed Reports | WWF Canada

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Indicators | Watershed Reports | WWF Canada

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The first step in measuring the health of Canadian watersheds and the threats they face was creating an assessment protocol. To do that, WWF collaborated with Canada's leading freshwater experts to develop a practical, science-based approach that could be applied across the country, incorporating as much relevant data from as many sources as possible.

Health assessment

The health assessment is based on four indicators - water quality, hydrology (water flow), fish and benthic invertebrates (bugs) - that represent key elements of aquatic ecosystems. We evaluate each indicator individually and assign a score ranging from very good to very poor. We calculate the overall health score by averaging the scores for the four indicators. If we don't have enough information to confidently determine a score, we note the indicator is data deficient.

Threats assessment

The threats assessment is based on seven key threats to the health of Canada's fresh water: pollution, climate change, invasive species, overuse of water, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and alteration of water flows. We score each threat individually on a scale ranging from no threat to very high. Similar to the health assessment, we calculate the overall threats score by averaging the scores for the seven indicators. If we don't have enough information to confidently determine a score, we note the indicator is data deficient.

We assess the health and threats indicators for each sub-watershed and then aggregate those results up to the level of major watersheds. We use the Water Survey of Canada boundaries for each sub-watershed and the Pearse boundaries for each major watershed. Learn more about watersheds and how they work with our Watersheds 101.

For more details, see our full methodology reports for the health and threats assessments. Or, watch the short video below to see the freshwater health assessment in action.

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The first step in measuring the health of Canadian watersheds and the threats they face was creating an assessment protocol. To do that, WWF collaborated with Canada's leading freshwater experts to develop a practical, science-based approach that could be applied across the country, incorporating as much relevant data from as many sources as possible.

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This unit plan for the Grade 8 Understanding Earth and Space Systems water unit allows educators to connect students to an Indigenous perspective while addressing the Ontario Science & Technology Curriculum.

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This unit plan for the Grade 8 Understanding Earth and Space Systems water unit allows educators to connect students to an Indigenous perspective while addressing the Ontario Science & Technology Curriculum.

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Drinking water advisories: First Nations south of 60 - Canada.ca

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Learn about drinking water advisories in First Nations communities south of the 60th parallel. Also find out about Canada's commitment to end long-term drinking water advisories (DWAs) within 5 years.

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PIR Live Event - Environmental Threats to Canadian Waters

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There is far more fresh water in Canada than in other parts of the world, but there are also many threats to our fresh waterways and their natural inhabitants. Dr. Michael Fox, Professor in the Trent School of the Environment and Department of Biology at Trent University, joined us on World Water Day to introduce four types of threats to Canadian waterways: development, climate change, water pollution, and invasive species.

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Canada's Budget 2016 was released this week, and the federal government's plan proposes $11.9 billion toward infrastructure over the next five years-starting right away.

The budget also states the government will implement a plan to invest more than $120 billion in infrastructure over 10 years, with an immediate $11.9 billion investment in public transit, water and wastewater systems, and affordable housing, among others. A historic investment of $3.5 billion over five years was included to support infrastructure in Indigenous communities as part of broader investments in green and social infrastructure.

The Honourable Bill Morneau delivered the budget speech saying, "We will put an end to the unconscionable crisis of boil-water advisories on reserves. Our government will invest nearly $2 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure and drinking water monitoring over five years so that every Canadian child has access to clean drinking water, no matter where they live."

The budget puts this plan into action with an immediate down payment on this plan, including:

$5.0 billion over five years for investments in water, wastewater and green infrastructure projects across Canada;

$2.24 billion over 5 years to First Nations communities for improvements to reserve water and wastewater infrastructure and waste management

$518 million for local governments to strengthen their infrastructure to withstand a changing climate.

$2 billion specifically allocated for a clean water and wastewater fund for cities and provinces to improve their water infrastructure and wastewater treatment.

"Our concern for the environment isn't limited to fighting climate change-our government is investing to expand protected areas, develop new national parks and fund ocean and freshwater science," said Morneau.

Other proposed water-related spending includes:

$197.1 million to increase ocean and freshwater science, monitoring and research activities for the Experimental Lakes Area.

$3.1 million to improve nearshore water and ecosystem health by reducing phosphorus and algae in Lake Erie.

Up to $19.5 million to support the International Joint Commission and manage transboundary water issues.

Download the full budget.

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Federal Budget 2016 Promises Dedicated Funds For Water Infrastructure, Stewardship, and Science - Water Canada

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Canada's Budget 2016 was released this week, and the federal government's plan proposes $11.9 billion toward infrastructure over the next five years-starting right away. The budget also states the government will implement a plan to invest more than $120 billion in infrastructure over 10 years, with an immediate $11.9 billion investment in public transit, water and wastewater ...

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PM La Crise de l;eau

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An Inuk artist from Labrador says he's going on a hunger strike until Nalcor commits to fully clearing the Muskrat Falls reservoir.

Billy Gauthier ate what he said will be his last meal - salmon from Lake Melville near Rigolet - Thursday night. He recorded a video of himself eating the meal and posted it on his Facebook page as an act of protest.

"Unfortunately, they took it to this [extreme] point. By them, I mean Nalcor," Gauthier told CBC Radio's Labrador Morning.

"See, this here land is the land that built me. Without this land, without Lake Melville, my family couldn't have survived in this area and many, many, many, many families before that couldn't survive in the area," he said.

"I'm an artist, I'm a stone sculptor, and all of my ideas pretty much are from the land. It's where I get my inspiration from.

"If you take that from me, my ability to go out and do my traditional cultural practices which, in large part is hunting and fishing - you take a big portion of my culture from me."

Flooding the Muskrat Falls reservoir could begin as soon as Saturday.

"If they flood that area, I will not eat," said Gauthier, who wants the reservoir cleared of vegetation before the flooding.

Many, including the Nunatsiavut government, believe clearing will reduce methylmercury levels.

Earlier this week, Environment Minister Perry Trimper said the province is exploring options but a complete clearing isn't possible.

Gauthier said he regrets having not participated in any local protests until now, aside from showing support on social media.

"This is the best way that I could think of without being violent."

Hard to tell family

He said committing to the hunger strike was a difficult decision, but one he made quickly. He said telling his family - his daughter, especially - was one of the most difficult things he's ever done.

"It was one of the hardest phone calls I ever had in my life ... I told her exactly what I was doing and how far I was going to go, and I mean that. I'm going all the way," he said.

"I've certainly cried a few times because I realize it's a multi-billion-dollar company and that I truly am willing to go all the way."

I hope I don't have to go the whole way to do it, but I will. - Billy Gauthier

Gauthier said the hunger strike comes with many potential long-term impacts, including blindness and organ failure. But he stressed that he isn't suicidal.

"I love life, I love my daughter, I love my family ... I love my artwork ... all I want is for Nalcor to do exactly what they said they were going to do in the beginning. That's all I want."

Gauthier said the Inuit people have a long history of self-sacrifice for the good of the greater community, and believes it's his "cultural right" to decline food and medical treatment down the road, should it come to that.

"I hope I don't have to go the whole way to do it, but I will."

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Inuk artist on hunger strike until Nalcor commits to clearing out reservoir | CBC News

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An Inuk artist from Labrador says he's going on a hunger strike until Nalcor commits to fully clearing the Muskrat Falls reservoir. Billy Gauthier ate what he said will be his last meal - salmon from Lake Melville near Rigolet - Thursday night.

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(Toronto) - Le Canada dispose d'eau en abondance, pourtant dans de nombreuses communautés autochtones en Ontario, l'eau est impropre à la consommation, a déclaré Human Rights Watch dans un nouveau rapport publié aujourd'hui. L'eau dont dépendent de nombreuses communautés des Premières Nations du Canada sur les terres connues sous le nom de réserves, est polluée, difficile d'accès ou même toxique en raison de systèmes de traitement défectueux. Le gouvernement fédéral ainsi que les autorités provinciales devraient prendre des mesures urgentes pour assumer leur rôle dans cette crise.

© 2015 Samer Muscati/Human Rights Watch

" L'eau contaminée et les installations défectueuses dans les réserves des Premières Nations en Ontario mettent en péril la santé des résidents, engendrent une surcharge de travail pour les parents et les personnels soignants, et exacerbent d'autres problèmes dans les réserves ", a déclaré Amanda Klasing, chercheuse senior à Human Rights Watch et auteure du rapport. " Les personnes des Premières Nations ont les mêmes droits que tous les Canadiens à des systèmes d'assainissement et d'eau potable de qualité, mais dans la pratique ils ne peuvent y avoir accès. "

Le rapport de 92 pages, intitulé " Une eau qui doit être sans danger : L'obligation du Canada de mettre un terme à la crise de l'eau dans les réserves des Premières Nations " ( " Make It Safe: Canada's Obligation to End the First Nations Water Crisis " - résumé et recommandations disponibles en français), documente les impacts graves et prolongés liés aux problèmes d'eau potable et d'assainissement pour des milliers de personnes autochtones - connues sous le nom de " Premières Nations " - vivant dans les réserves. Le rapport évalue les causes des problèmes liés à la qualité de l'eau et de l'assainissement dans les réserves, notamment le manque de réglementations contraignantes sur la qualité de l'eau, un financement insuffisant et arbitraire, des infrastructures défectueuses ou de qualité inférieure, et la dégradation des sources d'approvisionnement en eau. Les audits réalisés par le gouvernement fédéral lui-même depuis plus de vingt ans révèlent une tendance de promesses exagérées et de faibles réalisations en matière d'eau et de traitement des eaux usées pour les réserves.

Dans tout le Canada aujourd'hui, 133 avis sont en vigueur dans 89 réserves des Premières Nations informant que l'eau est impropre à la consommation. La plupart de ces avis sont concentrés en Ontario. Ces avis concernant la qualité de l'eau - dont certains sont en vigueur depuis des décennies - représentent les pires exemples des défis systémiques concernant l'eau et les eaux usées auxquels sont confrontées les Premières Nations au Canada. Les communautés canadiennes vivant en dehors des réserves sont bien loin de connaître un tel niveau de risque pour leur eau ; leurs systèmes sont soumis à des réglementations, et les avis concernant la qualité de l'eau sont bien plus rares.

" Comme le fait remarquer Human Rights Watch, nous, dans les communautés des Premières Nations, nous devons avoir ce que les Canadiens tiennent pour acquis : de l'eau potable et un assainissement convenable ", a déclaré le chef régional de l'Ontario, Isadore Day. " Même s'il y a eu quelques progrès et de nombreuses promesses, il y a bien trop de personnes autochtones qui vivent encore - et qui meurent - dans la pauvreté dans ce pays aujourd'hui. "

Dans le cadre de ses recherches, Human Rights Watch a effectué une enquête auprès de 99 foyers, accueillant 352 personnes, dans cinq communautés des Premières Nations en Ontario, et mené 111 entretiens qualitatifs. Le rapport analyse les données de sources gouvernementales sur les installations d'eau et d'eaux usées, les allocations budgétaires et les avis concernant la qualité de l'eau. Au total, Human Rights Watch a compilé les données gouvernementales portant sur 191 systèmes d'eau dans 137 communautés appartenant à 133 Premières Nations distinctes en Ontario.

L'eau contaminée et les installations défectueuses dans les réserves des Premières Nations en Ontario mettent en péril la santé des résidents, engendrent une surcharge de travail pour les parents et les personnels soignants, et exacerbent d'autres problèmes dans les réserves. Les personnes des Premières Nations ont les mêmes droits que tous les Canadiens à des systèmes d'assainissement et d'eau potable de qualité, mais dans la pratique ils ne peuvent y avoir accès.

Human Rights Watch a constaté que la crise de l'eau fait diminuer la qualité et la quantité d'eau disponible pour l'hygiène et la consommation dans les réserves. De nombreux ménages interrogés par Human Rights Watch ont signalé des problèmes liés à des infections de la peau, de l'eczéma, du psoriasis, ou d'autres problèmes de peau, qui, selon eux, étaient associés à la qualité de l'eau dans leurs maisons, ou bien aggravés par cette situation.

De nombreuses personnes interrogées ont indiqué que des agences fédérales ou des autorités des Premières Nations les avaient alertées à propos de contaminants contenus dans leur eau, notamment : des colibacilles, des Escherichia coli (E. coli), des trihalométhanes cancérigènes, et de l'uranium. L'exposition à ces types de substances contaminantes peut avoir des impacts sur la santé allant de graves troubles gastro-intestinaux à une augmentation des risques de cancer.

Des familles ont mentionné l'évolution de leurs habitudes d'hygiène, par exemple la limitation des bains ou des douches pour les enfants, à cause de leurs inquiétudes à propos de la qualité de l'eau. Les aides-soignants ont indiqué faire face à une plus grande charge de travail pour veiller à ce que les enfants, les personnes âgées et d'autres personnes évitent l'exposition à de l'eau insalubre.

Le gouvernement fédéral, qui a compétence sur les réserves, n'a pas pris les mesures appropriées pour veiller à ce que habitants des réserves des Premières Nations bénéficient des mêmes protections que les autres communautés devant la loi. Alors que les communautés en dehors des réserves bénéficient de réglementations en matière de qualité de l'eau, il n'y a aucune réglementation sur l'eau dans les réserves.

Le gouvernement fédéral, qui soutient financièrement la conception, la construction, l'exploitation et la maintenance des systèmes d'eau des Premières Nations, a notamment apporté un soutien financier et des prestations de conseil lors de la conception de systèmes dont la qualité est inférieure aux normes appliquées dans les communautés voisines. Quelques-uns de ces systèmes d'eau ont été rapidement placés sous avis concernant la qualité de l'eau, et même pour certains dans les deux ans suivant leur construction. En outre, une personne sur cinq vivant en Ontario dans des réserves obtient l'eau de puits privés, dont la plupart sont également contaminés.

" La crise de l'eau est le résultat d'années de discrimination aggravée par le manque de responsabilité ", a expliqué Amanda Klasing. " Et ce sont les familles des Premières Nations qui sont exposées et se préoccupent de savoir si l'eau qu'elles boivent et qu'elles utilisent pour se laver va faire du tort à leurs enfants. Le gouvernement du Canada doit s'attaquer tant aux symptômes qu'aux causes sous-jacentes. "

Le fait que le Canada s'est abstenu d'adopter des réglementations pour les réserves des Premières Nations, ou de fournir une surveillance équivalente, alors que tous les autres Canadiens bénéficient de ces protections, est discriminatoire et viole les droits des personnes des Premières Nations à l'égalité devant la loi, selon Human Rights Watch.

En mars 2016, le gouvernement Trudeau a annoncé de nouveaux engagements et financements pour amener les systèmes d'eau et d'eaux usées dans les communautés des Premières Nations à la norme des communautés comparables hors réserves dans les cinq ans. Il s'agit d'un signe positif, mais ce n'est pas la première fois que le gouvernement a promis de l'argent pour résoudre ces problèmes. Les investissements antérieurs impliquant des milliards de dollars ont échoué à remédier à des problèmes systémiques liés à l'eau et aux eaux usées dans les réserves. Ces investissements ont été irréguliers et handicapés par des formules arbitraires d'attributions, les fonds budgétisés n'étaient pas dépensés et des plafonds rigides ne tenaient pas compte de la croissance de la population, des ressources inégales et des différences entre les réserves. Le gouvernement actuel devrait tirer les leçons des échecs du passé, et collaborer sérieusement avec les Premières Nations en s'employant à tenir ses promesses.

" En dépit d'investissements importants dans le secteur de l'eau, le gouvernement canadien n'est pas parvenu à amener les systèmes d'eau et d'eaux usées dans les réserves aux normes dont bénéficient la plupart des Canadiens ", a déploré Amanda Klasing. " Le financement seul ne signifie pas le succès. "

La crise a également des impacts sur les droits culturels des communautés des Premières Nations. Leurs cérémonies de l'eau, les pratiques coutumières de pêche et de chasse, et les manières d'enseigner aux enfants et de partager des connaissances traditionnelles sur l'eau sont touchées lorsque l'eau est contaminée. Le droit international reconnaît le droit des peuples autochtones à maintenir et à renforcer leurs liens spirituels avec des terres possédées ou occupées traditionnellement, les territoires, les eaux, et d'autres ressources, et à assumer leurs responsabilités envers les générations futures.

De plus, les sources d'approvisionnement en eau des Premières Nations sont de plus en plus dégradées par les activités industrielles, le ruissellement agricole et les pratiques d'élimination des déchets en dehors des réserves, et pourtant les dirigeants des Premières Nations ont indiqué que les gouvernements provincial et fédéral ne les ont pas impliqués dans la gestion des sources d'eau.

" Des générations d'habitants des réserves des Premières Nations ont grandi sans eau propre, saine et potable ", a conclu Amanda Klasing. " Le nouveau gouvernement a affirmé qu'il était déterminé à l'égard du changement. Il est temps maintenant de passer à l'action. "
Témoignages :
Debora C., une femme de la Première Nation de Grassy Narrows, a expliqué combien il était difficile de gérer l'irritation cutanée récurrente de son fils de 9 ans : " Je continuais de l'emmener à la clinique et ils continuaient de me dire que c'était de l'eczéma. Son ventre et ses fesses sont devenus très rouges, suintants, et ça s'est étendu. La pommade [qu'ils m'ont donnée] ne fonctionnait pas. Je l'ai emmené de nouveau. " Finalement, son fils a été diagnostiqué comme atteint d'une maladie de peau résistant à la plupart des antibiotiques. Elle ne peut pas le baigner avec l'eau du robinet chez elle, et utilise de l'eau en bouteille contenue dans de grands récipients :

Je l'éponge avec de l'eau en bouteille des récipients, je le nettoie de cette façon.... Mon fils a des cicatrices maintenant là où l'éruption a éclaté. [Ce] n'est pas enflammé maintenant... Mais de temps en temps il a une inflammation, ça ne va pas disparaître [totalement] à cause de l'eau...Mes enfants ne se lavent qu'un jour sur deux. Si mon fils se fait une coupure, cela se transforme en éruption cutanée et je dois le conduire à la clinique pour prendre des antibiotiques. Alors mon fils manque souvent l'école.

Walter S., père de quatre enfants dont trois de moins de trois ans dans la Première Nation de Neskantaga, a signalé que des membres de sa famille ont été diagnostiqués pour la gale l'an dernier. Il pense que les plaies étaient liées à l'eau, parce que le médicament donné à sa famille par le centre de soins est resté sans effet. " Il est difficile de dire à celui de un an et à celui de neuf mois de ne pas se gratter. C'est dur d'être le méchant à propos de tout ça.... Les plus âgés de mes enfants se cachent dans la salle de bains pour se gratter. "

Stacey K., mère d'un bébé de 11 mois dans la Première Nation de Neskantaga, a expliqué :

Quand [mon fils] était un nouveau-né, j'utilisais l'eau du [distributeur à osmose inverse], mais c'était dur de le baigner chaque jour. Alors j'utilise l'eau du robinet. À l'âge de quatre mois, son visage a gonflé. [On m'a dit] qu'il avait de l'eczéma. Je voudrais le baigner chaque jour, mais ça doit être tous les deux ou trois jours. [Quand nous allons à] Thunder Bay, sa peau n'est pas comme ça [quand je le lave dans l'eau là].

Linda R., une mère de la Première Nation de Shoal Lake 40, a indiqué que son fils adoptif présentait une éruption cutanée récurrente, et qu'elle n'arrêtait pas de le conduire chez le docteur.

La quatrième ou cinquième fois que nous y sommes allés, [le docteur] m'a demandé 'est-ce que vous avez de l'eau traitée dans votre communauté ' J'ai répondu : 'Non, nous n'en avons pas.' 'Et bien, c'est là votre problème,' a-t-il dit.

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À lire aussi :
Ici Radio Canada 07.06.16

Le Devoir 08.06.16

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Canada : La crise de l'eau met en danger les familles des Premières Nations

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Le Canada dispose d'eau en abondance, pourtant dans de nombreuses communautés autochtones en Ontario, l'eau est impropre à la consommation, a déclaré Human Rights Watch dans un nouveau rapport publié aujourd'hui. L'eau dont dépendent de nombreuses communautés des Premières Nations du Canada sur les terres connues sous le nom de réserves, est polluée, difficile d'accès ou même toxique en raison de systèmes de traitement défectueux.

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A leading human rights organization says Canada is failing the country's First Nations communities by not providing the same access to clean and drinkable water as non-indigenous Canadians.

A damning report from Human Rights Watch released Tuesday points out Canada has access to 18 per cent of the world's fresh water and is among the world's wealthiest countries, but water quality in dozens of First Nations communities is putting the health of those communities at risk.
READ MORE: Many First Nations communities without access to clean drinking water
The New York-based group pointed to a double standard when it comes to regulations.

"In stark contrast, the water supplied to many First Nations communities on lands known as reserves is contaminated, hard to access, or at risk due to faulty treatment systems. The government regulates water quality for off-reserve communities, but has no binding regulations for water on First Nations reserves."

There are 134 water advisories for First Nations communities across the country, the report noted, adding the warnings "persist for years, sometimes decades."

"They are indicative of the broader systemic crisis that leaves many First Nations persons facing daily challenges just to access safe water for drinking and hygiene-a fundamental human right easily enjoyed by most Canadians," wrote Amanda Klasing, the author of the Human Rights Watch report.

Among the communities profiled in the 92-page report, titled "Make It Safe: Canada's Obligation to End the First Nations Water Crisis," is the Shoal Lake 40 First Nation - a community straddling the Ontario-Manitoba border which has endured one of the longest boil water orders in Canada.

READ MORE: How an old recessionary plan may be keeping Canada's First Nations in 'third world' conditions

"We've been on the bottled water for 19 years now," Shoal Lake 40 First Nation resident Linda Redsky said in a vide o released along with the report. "A lot of our kids grew up on that."

She said untreated water piped into her home was to blame for the eczema and skin infections her 14-year-old foster son, Adam has endured since he was a baby.

"On the fourth or fifth time I went in, [the doctor] asked me 'do you have treated water in your community?' I said, 'no we don't.' 'Well, there's your problem,' he said," Redsky told Human Rights Watch.

An investigation last year by Global's 16×9 looked at the quality of the water and spoke with professor Eva Pip, from the biology department at the University of Winnipeg who has been studying water quality in Shoal Lake and the surrounding rivers and bays for decades.

Her studies showed not only harmful parasites and bacteria in the water, but also the potential for toxins to be produced from blue-green algae blooms that could be potentially fatal if the toxins are at a high enough concentration.
READ MORE: Bacteria, parasites and toxins - water quality 'negligence' at Shoal Lake 40
While the community faces an ongoing water crisis, the reserve itself was displaced to a man-made island and cut off from the rest of Manitoba in the early 1900s thanks to the construction of an aqueduct to provide water to Winnipeg, some 135 kilometres away.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the community in April, while taking part in the making of a documentary, and helped haul bottled water to homes in the community. The visit happened just weeks after his government promised $4.6 billion in infrastructure investment in indigenous communities - including investment in water and wastewater infrastructure.

That followed an earlier commitment, in December, to work with the Manitoba government and City of Winnipeg to construct an all-weather road that would allow residents to commute to Kenora, Ont., a little over an hour away.

Human Rights Watch acknowledged the Trudeau government allotting funds to help rectify the water crisis faced by Canada's indigenous communities but said a "financial commitment alone... will not solve the water and wastewater crisis on First Nations reserves."

"New investments in water and wastewater infrastructure on First Nations reserves should be accompanied by enforceable regulations, sufficient funds for capital, operation, and maintenance costs for community and household systems, and mechanisms to track progress," Klasing wrote in the report.
With files from Hannah James and Megan Rowney Follow @nick_logan

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Human Rights Watch calls out Canada over First Nations water crisis

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A leading human rights organization says Canada is failing the country's First Nations communities by not providing the same access to clean and drinkable water as non-indigenous Canadians.

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GRASSY NARROWS FIRST NATION-For more than 40 years the mercury has percolated through river sediment, the food chain and generations of residents.

From 100 kilometres upstream, the slow, steady drip of the neurotoxin first killed a community's livelihood and then contaminated its people.

A disability board - set up by government officials in the mid-1980s to compensate those who can show doctors they suffer symptoms consistent with mercury poisoning - has approved claims from more than 300 applicants who suffer from tremors, loss of muscle co-ordination, slurred speech and tunnel vision.

One of them was Marlin Kokopenace's 17-year-old son, Calvin.

"(Calvin) was pretty frail. When he passed on he practically had no muscle," Marlin Kokopenace said, adding: "Me, I lose my balance at times. When I'm walking, sometimes I feel like I sidestep . . . (And) I get tremors, sometimes, in my hands."

His father said Calvin never crawled as a baby, did not walk until age three, had poor balance and symptoms of autism, and that the compensation board found he had mercury poisoning symptoms. Calvin also suffered from muscular dystrophy, and complications of the degenerative condition caused his death in November 2014. Marlin believes mercury contributed to the disease.

"But never did I ever think that I was going to lose a second child to this."

In April of this year, Calvin's 14-year-old sister, Azraya, died in the woods near Kenora. "She took her own life, apparently," Marlin said. "After my son died . . . she went through severe depression."

The mercury poisoning of the residents of Grassy Narrows and the fish they eat has been well documented after the old Dryden pulp and paper mill, operated then by Reed Paper, dumped 10 tonnes of mercury into the Wabigoon-English River system between 1962 and 1970.

The rivers and lakes were contaminated for at least 250 km, according to a report by the disability board.

Mercury has historically been used in the production of thermometers, paint, tooth fillings and, at the Dryden mill in the 1960s, the process that bleached pulp for paper.

The metal does not break down in the environment and can build up in living things, known as bioaccumulation, "inflicting increasing levels of harm on higher order species," according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Bacteria that thrive in wet, low-oxygen environments such as lake bottoms turn mercury into its most toxic form, methylmercury. The methylmercury migrates up the food chain to fish and then the locals who eat the fish.

Absorbed through the digestive tract, methylmercury "readily enters the brain" where it can remain for a long time, according to Health Canada. In a pregnant woman, it can build in the fetal brain and other tissues.

In Grassy Narrows, Judy Da Silva, a member of the First Nation, recalled how in the 1960s residents first noticed dead fish floating to the surface.

Turkey vultures started to fly as if they were drunk and the otter and mink disappeared. The locals, who'd built a livelihood as fishing and hunting guides, were told to stop eating the fish, though one said the tourist camp operators encouraged guides to keep eating the fish to show the guests it was safe.

The robust fishing tourism industry, especially at famous Ball Lake Lodge, was decimated. The commercial fishermen and guides went on welfare.

What many residents of Grassy Narrows have, according to Japanese scientists, is Minamata disease - also known as methylmercury poisoning. It was first discovered in 1956 in Japan and takes its name from the area around Minamata city in Japan. Illnesses were linked to the industrial waste water from a chemical factory that dumped between 200 and 600 tonnes of mercury (far more than the Dryden plant) into the water system. More severe symptoms in Japan included paralysis, coma and death. Japanese scientist Dr. Masazumi Harada spent the majority of his career examining the effects of the disease.

Harada continued his work in Canada and first tested community members in Grassy Narrows in 1975. He found people with mercury levels over three times the Health Canada limit in Grassy Narrows and seven times the limit in nearby Whitedog. When Harada returned in 2004, all of the people who tested over the limit were dead.

Another study by Harada published in 2005 showed 79 per cent of 175 people tested in those two communities in 2002 and 2004 had or may have had Minamata disease.

He later found psychiatric symptoms, including depression, anxiety and self-injury.

In the mid-1970s, Bill Fobister Sr., then the band council administrator for Grassy Narrows, went to Minamata with other locals on a provincially and federally funded trip to witness the effects of mercury poisoning there.

"I saw what was really happening to the people," he recalled. "I saw youth deformed, with curled up fingers . . . (and when) they tried to look at you they couldn't quite focus. They were just sitting there, assisted by their relatives every day. They were in bad shape. They couldn't help themselves. Those were the severe (cases)."

Before the mercury contamination in Grassy Narrows, Fobister, now 70, was a "camp boy" and hunting and fishing guide, taking tourists on daytrips to catch walleye. Out early in an 18-foot boat, a shore lunch, and then back to Grassy by 4 p.m. When guiding, he ate fish throughout the day and brought some home for his pregnant wife.

"The fishing, the jobs, stopped. It was not safe. It was devastating," Fobister, who was chief in the 1990s, said of the mercury fallout. "They didn't have no consideration (for) what they were going to do, the kind of damage that they were going to do to our river system."

Later, he watched as his community become increasingly dependent on social assistance, and as the trucks brought in frozen fish and processed foods, he also noticed changes in his body that he attributes to mercury.

More recently, he said, his sense of taste has considerably diminished and the tunnel vision he has suffered from for years is worsening. A partial numbness has spread from his lips to his cheeks. He gets a monthly payment of $350 from the Mercury Disability Board.

The board was set up in the 1980s after Grassy Narrows and Whitedog participated in an out-of-court settlement with Ottawa, Ontario and two paper companies for all claims due to mercury contamination. Since its formation, the board has paid a total of $20 million.

There is a 16-point scale the board uses to judge the severity of mercury poisoning symptoms. A score of 6 is required for a minimum payout of $250 per month. The maximum amount is $800 per month.

Fobister scored an 8, though he had applied twice before and scored high enough for the $350 payment.

An applicant must undergo a neurological assessment, and doctors score the severity of symptoms, a compensation board spokesperson told the Star. The benefit, once awarded, is for life.

More than 50 of the 314 compensation recipients were children at the time they were approved for benefits.

Yet locals continue to eat the fish.

Some residents cannot afford a boat to fish in distant, cleaner waterways or to buy food off store shelves.

And there is another, more fundamental reason, according to locals who say the river and lakes have for hundreds of years been the lifeblood of the people.

"We don't know science. You look at the lake, it looks good, it looks clean, the fish look all right," said Steve Fobister, Sr., 65, a cousin of Bill Fobister Sr. and a former chief. "How to believe that something like that could turn against you?"

Leg cramps, a stutter and loss of balance forced Steve Fobister Sr. to stop working as an engineer on the railroad back in the early 1970s. (He and Bill were examined by the Japanese team and diagnosed with mercury poisoning, they said.)

He then became a band councillor, politically active on the reserve. An old photo, published in the Star in 1978, shows Steve Fobister Sr. and Grassy Narrows resident Fred Land leaning on an Ontario government sign posted in their community. It says, "Check Before You Eat," and provides guidelines on the consumption of contaminated fish.

In 2014 he made headlines again when he went on a hunger strike to protest that mercury survivors receive inadequate health care and compensation. This time, though, he was in a wheelchair.

"They tell me that I have ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). I also have mercury poisoning. I'm also a diabetic," he said, sitting in the living room of his small house on Grassy Narrows. "It's been hard living."

Steve Fobister Sr. attributes his hand weakness, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing to mercury poisoning. He said he gets $250 per month. "A lot of people felt that I should have got the max."

Citing privacy concerns, the compensation board said it does not discuss individual cases.

"The problem is when we created the mercury disability board, which I was a part of, we didn't know as much about the effects of mercury as we do today," Steve Fobister Sr. said.

The criteria for an award have not changed since the board's inception.

In that time, about 700 of 1,000 total applicants have been turned down.

Harada's 2011 study found 74 per cent of people diagnosed by his team as impacted or possibly impacted by mercury were not receiving any form of compensation.

Da Silva said her father died fighting for more compensation. The criteria used to determine eligibility is too narrow, she said.

Canadian scientist Dr. Mergler - who in a recently released report reviewed decades of scientific research on mercury's effects - noted that today's science shows that mercury poisoning causes damage at low levels previously considered harmless.

In her report, Mergler reviewed cord blood data collected by Health Canada from Grassy Narrows babies between 1978 and 1994. "At these cord blood (mercury) concentrations, there is consensus from the scientific literature that there would be effects on children's neurodevelopment," the report said.

The Disability Board assesses children for cerebral palsy and some developmental delays. Board Chair Margaret Wanlin told the Star that in 2010 the board reviewed science from all over the world and could not find a better "diagnostic test" for applicants. "We think our science is as good as it can be," she said.

Additionally, the payout range ($250 to $800) has not increased in the 30 years of the board's existence. The Bank of Canada's inflation calculator shows that the dollar amounts established in 1986 are equivalent to nearly double today.

Spurred in part by Steve Fobister Sr.'s brief hunger strike in 2014, the board is currently undergoing a sweeping review by representatives from the provincial and federal governments as well as from Whitedog and Grassy Narrows. A spokesperson from the provincial Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation said the review is set to conclude in September.

There have been other recent developments.

In late May, a provincial government-funded report commissioned by Grassy Narrows was released. It cautioned that despite the passage of time, mercury levels in sediments and fish downstream are still dangerously high. Recent tests show one meal of walleye from Clay Lake contains up to 150 times the safe dose of mercury recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The report also said it was possible to clean up the mercury in the waterways.

Then, last month, two provincial government ministers visited the community to discuss more water tests and cleanup options. The government pledged $300,000 to support water, sediment and fish sampling in a stretch of river that Grassy Narrows Council has identified as a top priority. The government has not yet committed to a specific course of action to clean up the river.

Environment Ministry scientists have also started extensive testing of groundwater near the site of the old plant in Dryden and are bringing in sonar to look for buried drums that a former labourer recently said he helped fill with mercury and salt and dumped in a pit behind the mill 40 years ago.

Steve Fobister Sr., has run out of patience. The day before the government ministers were to visit the powwow grounds and make their announcements, he said he would stay home.

"Look at me, I'm a sick old man. . . . My community is sick.

"People have been born since the mercury pollution and have only lived on welfare since the day they were born. . . . Morale is very low. We just had a child that committed suicide."

"My life is gone, it's been destroyed," he said. "I hope the future generations can have a better life than what I have."

Looking out his living room window, he added: "Mercury is here to stay for the next 100 years."

David Bruser can be reached at (416) 869-4282 or dbruser@thestar.ca

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Star Investigation: A Poisoned People | The Star

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GRASSY NARROWS FIRST NATION-For more than 40 years the mercury has percolated through river sediment, the food chain and generations of residents. From 100 kilometres upstream, the slow, steady drip of the neurotoxin first killed a community's livelihood and then contaminated its people.

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Face à cette " crise de l'eau ", le gouvernement canadien doit prendre ses responsabilités, a demandé l'Organisation non gouvernementale dans un rapport.

Ces problèmes chroniques d'eau potable affectent des dizaines de réserves à travers le Canada, aggravant les conditions d'hygiène et de santé des populations.

Dans 89 des 600 réserves autochtones, les habitants ne peuvent pas consommer l'eau du robinet et doivent impérativement la faire bouillir. Des avertissements sont en vigueur depuis près de 20 ans dans certaines collectivités, la plupart situées dans la province de l'Ontario (est).

L'ONG pointe le paradoxe d'une crise qui frappe les réserves autochtones dans un pays aux immenses réserves d'eau douce.

Parmi les causes à l'origine de cette crise, HRW mentionne l'absence de normes réglementaires sur la qualité de l'eau dans les réserves, qui relève de la responsabilité de l'État fédéral.

" La crise de l'eau résulte d'années de discrimination ", écrit Amanda Klasing, auteure du rapport, en appelant le gouvernement à s'attaquer aussi bien à ses symptômes qu'à ses causes plus profondes.

HRW attire l'attention sur la responsabilité du gouvernement fédéral canadien qui finance et supervise la construction des usines de traitement des eaux, et qui a parfois fait construire des infrastructures qui ne répondent même pas aux normes minimales de qualité pourtant en vigueur pour le reste de la population.

L'organisation déplore aussi un financement gouvernemental sporadique et insuffisant, des infrastructures défectueuses ou médiocres et des sources d'eau dégradées ou contaminées par des bactéries (E.coli...), voire de l'uranium.

Pour ce rapport d'une centaine de pages, l'ONG a visité cinq réserves en Ontario, sondé une centaine de ménages autochtones et compilé des données gouvernementales concernant 191 systèmes de traitement d'eau dans 137 communautés.

Parmi les problèmes de santé associés au manque d'eau potable, des ménages mentionnent, selon HRW, des infections de la peau comme de l'eczéma ou du psoriasis. Des parents limitent la durée du bain ou de la douche de leurs enfants par crainte d'une contamination.

HRW salue l'engagement du premier ministre Justin Trudeau de régler les problèmes d'eau sur les réserves d'ici cinq ans, tout en rappelant les nombreuses promesses passées des gouvernements qui n'ont pas été tenues.

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HRW dénonce une "crise de l'eau" dans les réserves autochtones du Canada | National

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Face à cette " crise de l'eau ", le gouvernement canadien doit prendre ses responsabilités, a demandé l'Organisation non gouvernementale dans un rapport. Ces problèmes chroniques d'eau potable affectent des dizaines de réserves à travers le Canada, aggravant les conditions d'hygiène et de santé des populations.

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L'eau dans les collectivités des Premières Nations

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En 2006, le gouvernement a appliqué une stratégie globale visant à assurer l'efficacité des réseaux de traitement de l'eau potable et des eaux usées dans les collectivités des Premières nations, de même que l'accès des Premières nations à une eau de même qualité que celle dont jouissent les autres Canadiens.

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A new report suggesting an on-going source of mercury contamination on the site of the pulp and paper mill in Dryden, Ont., has provincial politicians pointing fingers.

The government-funded report, released on Tuesday, suggests that an old chemical plant on the current mill property is still leaking mercury and contaminating the Wabigoon-English River system upstream from the Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nations.

Previous dumping of mercury by the former mill owners in the 1960s and 70s was long believed to be the cause of the mercury poisoning among the people in both First Nations, but a study released last year pointed to on-going contamination. Tuesday's report adds weight to that theory.

"This government has said repeatedly that the mill site is not an ongoing source of mercury, why has the government never bothered to test the river next to the Dryden mill," NDP Indigenous Affairs critic Michael Mantha asked at Queen's Park on Wednesday.

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Glen Murray, said the hidden source of contamination has been difficult to locate and Domtar, the current mill owner, has been required to monitor the site.

Murray said the Liberals should not shoulder the blame for allowing the poisoning continue for decades after the initial mercury contamination was discovered in the 1960s.

"All of us were in power during those periods of time and not one party prior to this government [currently] in power took action on that," Murray said. "So maybe we can all have a little humility."

The Liberals committed last month to fully investigate the hidden source of contamination, stop it and clean up the mercury from the 1960s and 70s that remains in the river.

But Mantha said the government is not being transparent about the details of the cleanup, from costing to timelines.

"Will the premier tell this legislature and the people of this province exactly what promises the premier made to Chief Fobister in a meeting held with him on February 10," Mantha asked.

It's also not clear what the federal government's role will be.

Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would "continue working closely with the province of Ontario and the First Nations to get to the bottom of the science, and the next steps necessary to deal with this issue once and for all."

Then on Wednesday, Trudeau said the cleanup is a provincial responsibility.

"The Grassy Narrows issue is very much a provincial issue," Trudeau said during a news conference in Calgary. "The federal government under my leadership is certainly very engaged with the province to ensure that we're moving forward in the right direction."

So far the province has provided $80,000 of $350,000 promised to Grassy Narrows First Nation for environmental field work and is attempting to accelerate the investigative work, according to the ministry.

"This work will inform the extent of any mercury contamination in the river and determine which remediation options may be the most appropriate for each site, including enhanced natural recovery and capping," a ministry spokesperson said in an email to CBC News. "Grassy Narrows First Nation's expert team is currently developing a detailed study plan and timeline for this work."

The new report "solidifies our belief that the mercury is still there and verifies our fears that mercury is still poisoning our people," Grassy Narrows Chief Simon Fobister said.

"This mercury is not going to go away any time soon unless there's a massive cleanup," he added.

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NDP questions Ontario Liberal's commitment to Grassy Narrows clean up | CBC News

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A new report suggesting an on-going source of mercury contamination on the site of the pulp and paper mill in Dryden, Ont., has provincial politicians pointing fingers. The government-funded report, released on Tuesday, suggests that an old chemical plant on the current mill property is still leaking mercury and contaminating the Wabigoon-English River system upstream from the Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nations.

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Des milliers d'Amérindiens sont privés d'eau potable au Canada, parfois depuis des décennies, en raison d'usines de traitement défectueuses ou de sources contaminées, a dénoncé mardi Human Rights Watch.

Face à cette "crise de l'eau", le gouvernement canadien doit prendre ses responsabilités, a demandé l'Organisation non gouvernementale dans un rapport.

Ces problèmes chroniques d'eau potable affectent des dizaines de réserves à travers le Canada, aggravant les conditions d'hygiène et de santé des populations.

Dans 89 des 600 réserves autochtones, les habitants ne peuvent pas consommer l'eau du robinet et doivent impérativement la faire bouillir. Des avertissements sont en vigueur depuis près de 20 ans dans certaines collectivités, la plupart situées dans la province de l'Ontario (est).

L'ONG pointe le paradoxe d'une crise qui frappe les réserves autochtones dans un pays aux immenses réserves d'eau douce.

Parmi les causes à l'origine de cette crise, HRW mentionne l'absence de normes réglementaires sur la qualité de l'eau dans les réserves, qui relève de la responsabilité de l'État fédéral.

"La crise de l'eau résulte d'années de discrimination", écrit Amanda Klasing, auteure du rapport, en appelant le gouvernement à s'attaquer aussi bien à ses symptômes qu'à ses causes plus profondes.

HRW attire l'attention sur la responsabilité du gouvernement fédéral canadien qui finance et supervise la construction des usines de traitement des eaux, et qui a parfois fait construire des infrastructures qui ne répondent même pas aux normes minimales de qualité pourtant en vigueur pour le reste de la population.

L'organisation déplore aussi un financement gouvernemental sporadique et insuffisant, des infrastructures défectueuses ou médiocres et des sources d'eau dégradées ou contaminées par des bactéries (E.coli...), voire de l'uranium.

Pour ce rapport d'une centaine de pages, l'ONG a visité cinq réserves en Ontario, sondé une centaine de ménages autochtones et compilé des données gouvernementales concernant 191 systèmes de traitement d'eau dans 137 communautés.

Parmi les problèmes de santé associés au manque d'eau potable, des ménages mentionnent, selon HRW, des infections de la peau comme de l'eczéma ou du psoriasis. Des parents limitent la durée du bain ou de la douche de leurs enfants par crainte d'une contamination.

HRW salue l'engagement du premier ministre Justin Trudeau de régler les problèmes d'eau sur les réserves d'ici cinq ans, tout en rappelant les nombreuses promesses passées des gouvernements qui n'ont pas été tenues.

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Canada: une ONG dénonce une " crise de l'eau " dans les réserves autochtones

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Des milliers d'Amérindiens sont privés d'eau potable au Canada, parfois depuis des décennies, en raison d'usines de traitement défectueuses ou de sources contaminées, a dénoncé mardi Human Rights Watch. Face à cette "crise de l'eau", le gouvernement canadien doit prendre ses responsabilités, a demandé l'Organisation non gouvernementale dans un rapport.

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Pourquoi faut-il économiser l'eau ? - 1 jour, 1 question

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Le 22 mars est la Journée mondiale de l'eau. L'occasion de découvrir cet or bleu en 10 chiffres.

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DRYDEN, ONT.-The Star and volunteers from an environmental group have found mercury-contaminated soil upstream from Grassy Narrows First Nation.

Over several weeks this past fall, first the volunteers from Earthroots and then reporters from the Star dug a dozen holes and took soil samples from a site behind an old paper mill, then had them analyzed by a lab. Soil from three holes contained significantly higher-than-normal levels of mercury.

"There is more than enough of a smoking gun to require a full investigation," said Gord Miller, Ontario's former environmental commissioner and the chair of the Earthroots group.

When presented with the findings, the province told the Star it takes them "seriously" and will work with the current landowner to determine if more tests are needed.

Mercury contamination, a serious health risk, has plagued the indigenous community in northern Ontario for decades. Dangerous and persistently high levels of mercury in the sediment and fish in the river system suggest there is an ongoing source, but the province has denied the possibility that the site of the old mill - 100 kilometres upstream from Grassy Narrows - could be responsible.

The samples were taken from an area circled on a map by retired mill worker Kas Glowacki, who said that in 1972 he was part of a group who "haphazardly" dumped drums filled with salt and mercury into a pit behind the mill.

Persistently high levels of mercury in the sediment and fish of the Wabigoon River system - which the Grassy Narrows community has long relied on - suggest there is an ongoing source of contamination. (Todd Korol / Toronto Star file photo)

Test results from three holes came back showing elevated levels of mercury - up to nearly 80 times the level expected to be found in soil from that region of the province.

Two leading scientists say the results are a clear sign of industrial mercury contamination.

"It's definitely industrial mercury," said scientist John Rudd when presented with the Star's findings. "I think it is significant."

Rudd and another mercury expert, Western University professor Brian Branfireun, say a fuller investigation including more testing would help determine whether this mercury was spilled on the ground, if it is flowing sideways through groundwater or if it is moving up from a source below.

"Until then, all these questions will remain," said Rudd, who has studied the issue of mercury contamination in the area for decades.

Neither scientist was involved in collecting the soil samples.

The contaminated samples do not prove the existence of the alleged dump site but are enough to warrant further attention from professionals, said Miller, whose organization has acted as an adviser to and advocate for Grassy Narrows.

"We have an allegation of an improper disposal of this material. We've gone in and done some preliminary sampling. We found some anomalies," Miller said, adding the province's previous barrel search was "not good enough," and that a "full and thorough investigation" should be done over a large area.

Late last year, Ontario's environment minister announced the province had searched for the barrels in the summer and concluded they did not exist. The government searched a different area than that subsequently sampled by Earthroots and the Star. The province conducted metal-detecting tests, and also said it did groundwater tests in the area, though no soil was tested.

Before that search, an Earthroots representative said he asked the province to search in a larger area, which did not happen. A request from Grassy Narrows to the pulp and paper company that now owns the site, Domtar, for access to the land to conduct a search by its own team of experts was denied, according to correspondence obtained by the Star.

Between 1962 and 1970, the former paper mill - then owned by Reed Paper - dumped 10 tonnes of mercury into the Wabigoon River, contaminating the fish and sickening generations who consider walleye a dietary staple. Physical symptoms of mercury poisoning include loss of muscle co-ordination and tunnel vision. Fetuses are particularly vulnerable to cognitive damage, according to recent research.

Today, the walleye near Grassy Narrows are the most mercury-contaminated in the province. And recent studies conducted by Japanese experts found that 90 per cent of the people tested in Grassy Narrows and the nearby Whitedog First Nation have a symptom of mercury poisoning.

It was a government-funded scientific report commissioned by Grassy Narrows and released in May that said the persistently high levels of mercury suggest the metal is still being released into the river system. The source needs to be found and stopped, the report says.

Rudd - one of the authors of that report, who is currently working with Grassy Narrows and has received provincial funding to measure mercury contamination in the Wabigoon River system - said the entire area around the old paper processing plant should be examined because historically these types of plants have been known to be sources of contamination long after they stopped using mercury in the paper-bleaching process.

Mercury has not been used in paper production at the site in decades, and there is no suggestion that Domtar, several owners removed from Reed Paper, is responsible for any possible ongoing source of mercury.

Regardless of whether the barrels exist, Rudd said that he believes an investigation of the area would "find mercury in several locations."

Rudd has in the past worked on two major industrial mercury remediation projects, including at the site of a former plant on the Penobscot River in Maine. A U.S. Federal Court ordered a study of mercury contamination in the area and then a cleanup plan.

Rudd worked at the Maine site for more than seven years and said there were several locations of mercury contamination, including under the factory area where mercury was used in production, dump sites where mercury-contaminated machinery was disposed of, and other "spill" areas where mercury moved around the facility.

Retired mill worker Kas Glowacki told the Star that in 1972 he was part of a group who dumped drums filled with salt and mercury into a pit behind the paper mill. (Jayme Poisson/Toronto Star file photo)

As part of its ongoing investigation into the mercury poisoning of Grassy Narrows First Nation residents, the Star travelled on Nov. 12 to the area identified by former mill worker Glowacki because, weeks prior, volunteers from Earthroots said they'd found a spot with a significant level of mercury in the soil. The Star wanted to take its own samples, so reporters went to the area with Earthroots volunteers.

A Domtar spokesperson did not answer several questions about the soil samples, directing the Star to the province's Environment Ministry. "We were surprised to learn that the Toronto Star entered and disturbed private property without permission. We ask that you respect our rights and avoid a trespass situation in the future," said Domtar's David Struhs, vice-president, corporate services and sustainability.

The clearing - which measures about 30 metres across - is near a public road but behind a tree line. Cars, trucks and the occasional dog walker pass along nearby Gordon Rd.

The tops of some of Domtar's largest factory buildings can be seen about a kilometre to the east. The Wabigoon River flows just on the other side and at the foot of these buildings.

Star reporter David Bruser digs for soil samples on a site about 100 kilometres upstream from Grassy Narrows First Nation. (Jayme Poisson/TORONTO STAR)

The Star and Earthroots dug 12 holes and bagged soil samples from varying depths - generally between surface level a depth of 60 to 76 centimetres. The freezer bags containing the wet soil were sent to a lab for testing.

The soil from the three contaminated holes, tested by an independent and accredited Western University lab that specializes in mercury, showed levels of more than 1,000 parts per billion. One sample came back at nearly 4,000 parts per billion.

Citing previously published research conducted in the same area of Ontario, Branfireun said that soil mercury concentrations would normally be 100 to 200 parts per billion near the surface and about 40 to 50 parts per billion in the sands and clays underground. Branfireun holds a Canada Research Chair in Environment and Sustainability.

In the area sampled by Earthroots and the Star, soil from six uncontaminated holes came back even lower - under 20 parts per billion.

"You don't just show up in the middle of the bush and dig a hole and just find those mercury levels in a hole," said Branfireun, who is the director of the accredited lab but did not participate in the testing or analysis of the samples. "There's no way that it could ever be argued that through any natural process there could be that much mercury in the environment in that location. It's impossible."

Where the mercury came from is unclear.

Branfireun noted that in one of the holes where the contaminated soil was found, the mercury readings increased with depth - which suggests the mercury could possibly be coming from below or travelling horizontally. But it's impossible to say for certain at this point.

In another hole, the readings decreased with depth. Rudd, citing his previous experience in Maine, said that mercury could have also been spilled on the ground from above.

"If it's been spilled here or there over the years, unless the soil moves, most of it (mercury) attaches to the soil particles," he said.

The Star travelled to a spot near the old paper mill in Dryden, Ont., to collect soil samples. (Jayme Poisson/TORONTO STAR)

In addition, scientists told the Star that groundwater flows can transport mercury sideways, up and down.

"A complete groundwater study needs to be done and then you can tell which way the water is flowing and how much mercury is being transported," Rudd added.

The province's July search for the alleged barrels relied in part on an oblique aerial photo of the mill property the Star had initially provided to retired mill worker Glowacki. He circled the area he thought was the most likely to be the spot where the barrel dump occurred.

"We ... found there are no barrels buried and there is no source," Environment Minister Glen Murray said in the legislature in November.

The province searched to the east of Gordon Rd., a report on the search said.

Earlier in the summer, before the search, Earthroots' David Sone said that after speaking with Glowacki about the barrels, he told the province during a conference call he thought they should search west of Gordon Rd. as well, but was ignored. Weeks later, he found a clearer aerial image of the terrain and had Glowacki circle this map, too. He circled west of Gordon Rd.

This is why in October volunteers from his organization went to that second spot circled by Glowacki to investigate, Sone said.

For Earthroots, it was relatively easy and cheap to find soil contaminated with mercury - $970 for travel expenses and equipment, including a GPS - and, Sone said, it was another frustrating example of the provincial government's lack of political will to address the mercury problem in Grassy Narrows.

"Would the government treat toxic threats like this so negligently if they were in Toronto?" Sone asked. "Ontario has consistently looked the other way and refused to make things right, even in the face of ever mounting evidence that there is an ongoing health and environmental crisis unfolding on their watch."

An Environment Ministry spokesperson said this week the government will again contact Glowacki to get more information on the area behind the mill.

Jayme Poisson can be reached at 416-814-2725. David Bruser can be reached at 416-869-4282.

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Mercury-tainted soil found upstream from Grassy Narrows First Nation | The Star

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DRYDEN, ONT.-The Star and volunteers from an environmental group have found mercury-contaminated soil upstream from Grassy Narrows First Nation. Over several weeks this past fall, first the volunteers from Earthroots and then reporters from the Star dug a dozen holes and took soil samples from a site behind an old paper mill, then had them analyzed by a lab.

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Canadians have access to so much cheap and plentiful fresh water that we take for granted how valuable it is and have failed to protect our most important and essential natural resource.

A move earlier this year to divert fresh water from the Great Lakes to a Wisconsin town is the thin edge of the wedge and needs to be stopped.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Barak Obama need to intervene in the political process to protect the use of our shared fresh water.

Further, the provinces need to charge private sector companies who sell our ground water a fair and reasonable fee.

Fresh water is becoming more scarce and valuable. While over 70% of the world is covered in water - only 2% of that is fresh water.

According to the United Nations Human Development Report: "1.2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the world's population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this situation. Another 1.6 billion people, or almost one quarter of the world's population, face economic water shortage."

It goes on to say: "Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and, although there is no global water scarcity as such, an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water. Water scarcity is both a natural and a human-made phenomenon."

Most Canadians don't realize that, globally, water is a scare resource.

Canada has 7% of the world's renewable fresh water supply but only 0.49% of the world's total population. We have so much water we don't realize its importance.

We also waste a lot of it. We are one of the highest per capita users of water in the world - our residential water use per person per day is 251 litres.

Further, we do not pay the true cost of water. In fact, 44% of Canadian do not even have a metered water supply.

Canada and the United States share access to the greatest single source of fresh water in the world, the Great Lakes. These together hold 20% of the world's fresh water.

These aren't a renewable source of fresh water - it's water left over from melted glaciers. As such Ontario, Quebec and the Great Lake states reached a compact in 2008 that prohibits cities that are not adjacent to the lakes from diverting water to them.

But this summer the eight states agreed to allow Waukesha, Wisconsin to start diverting fresh water from Lake Michigan.

One hundred and twenty three mayors from both the U.S. and Canada are calling on Trudeau and Obama to intervene to protect the fresh water supply. They're concerned about what will happen if more cities draw on fresh water from the Great Lakes, which are already at historic low levels.

They need to heed the call of these mayors and stop Waukesha from taking Great Lakes water.

Canadians also need to realize the impact bottled water companies are having on ground water levels.

In Ontario, for example, the government only charges the private sector $3.71 for every million litres of water they take and sell to consumers. Since that fee won't buy you most drinks at Starbucks - why can a private sector company get a million litres for the same cost?

Canada collects appropriate taxes on oil and lumber - we need to do the same for water.
- Warren is a Liberal political strategist and media commentator. He worked for former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman and former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty and is currently a principal at grgadvisors.ca and CEO of Riseley Gaming Inc.

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Fresh water scarcity is an issue in Canada too

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Canadians have access to so much cheap and plentiful fresh water that we take for granted how valuable it is and have failed to protect our most important and essential natural resource. A move earlier this year to divert fresh water from the Great Lakes to a Wisconsin town is the thin edge of the wedge and needs to be stopped.

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Parks Canada is testing mucky sediment along the Ottawa stretch of the Rideau Canal to decide whether the UNESCO World Heritage Site should be added to an inventory of Canada's most contaminated properties.

At the same time, the Ontario government is investigating whether game fish in the canal have dangerous levels of toxins, and should never be put on a dinner plate.

Both moves this spring follow Parks Canada's decision to temporarily halt repairs along a section of the picturesque canal after workers churned up canal-bed toxins while laying bricks in November.

Tests revealed the presence of heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which have been linked to various cancers.

"As part of the standard process for reporting contaminated sites, Parks Canada is undertaking further tests to identify the scope and extent of contaminants within the stretch of the Rideau Canal in downtown Ottawa," said spokesperson Darryl Whitehead.

"Once these tests are complete, Parks Canada will take all necessary steps to update the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory."

For a century, the canal's Ottawa section featured industrial activity on both banks, including a paint factory and regular train traffic, as well as steam-powered vessels hauling industrial goods.

Dark legacy of pollution

Today, the canal is de-industrialized as a major tourist attraction - welcoming skaters in winter, pleasure craft in summer - but with a dark legacy of pollution lurking below.

Canal repairs along a 500-metre section resumed in the winter, but were restricted to work that will not disturb the sediment. In the meantime, Parks Canada has hired consultants to carry out detailed testing to assess the levels of various toxins along several kilometres of the canal bed.

... a very low risk to the public as this type of contamination is generally only a concern if there is dermal contact or ingestion. - Parks Canada on risk from toxins in the sediment bed of the Rideau Canal in downtown Ottawa

"The presence of contaminants in the canal bed, although not unexpected in an urban area, is generally not known to stakeholders and the public," says a Jan. 4, 2017, briefing note for Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, obtained by CBC News under the Access to Information Act.

"A negative reaction and questions about Parks Canada's management of this project are possible."

In a release, Parks Canada said that the contaminated sediment "presents a very low risk to the public as this type of contamination is generally only a concern if there is dermal contact or ingestion."

It added: "During the skateway season, sediment is contained by snow and ice and therefore the risk to human health is even further reduced."

Government 'carefully reviewing' info

The agency acknowledges, however, that fish can ingest sediments. And the Ottawa section of the canal attracts urban fishers looking for carp, muskies and other sports species.

But fishing - even in a federally owned canal - is regulated and monitored by the Ontario government, which now says it is assessing the situation.

"The Ministry [of the Environment] is carefully reviewing this new information about sediment contamination in the Ottawa section of the Rideau Canal," said spokesperson Gary Wheeler.

"We are reaching out to Parks Canada for additional details. As soon as we have reviewed this information, we will be able to determine whether further testing is needed in addition to the ongoing monitoring that we conduct."

Parks Canada is preparing the canal and its locks for the annual spring opening on Victoria Day weekend in late May, with some special events to mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Pleasure boating traffic is expected to increase this summer because the agency has dropped all lockage fees to celebrate the sesquicentennial.

Raises profile of industrial history

Parks Canada has long known of the historic industrial pollution trapped in the canal bed, but the recent round of repairs - drawing on a $13-million fund for the Ottawa section - appears to have raised the profile of the problem.

The McKenna briefing note says no testing of local contaminants was carried out before the repair work began near Ottawa's Lansdowne Park on Nov. 7, though preliminary tests were conducted at other locales not slated for immediate repairs.

Parks Canada says it has finalized a contract for comprehensive contaminant testing to be carried out later this month, after the ice disappears. The section to be sampled stretches from the Hartwells Locks, near Carleton University, to the Ottawa Locks at the base of Parliament Hill, where the canal enters the Ottawa River, about 6.7 kilometres in total.

"The sediments in question are low risk to health but of course we are monitoring them and we'll continue to do so," McKenna said this week. "Parks Canada is going to be working hard making sure that the conditions are safe and taking appropriate measures."

Scientists contacted by CBC News say the industrial waste is likely well buried by sediment, and that even if tests uncover toxins the safest option may be to leave them untouched rather than carry out a cleanup.

The Rideau Canal, which opened in 1832, runs more than 200 kilometres from Kingston, Ont., to Ottawa. Originally a strategic waterway to provide an alternative transportation route in the event of war with the United States, the canal was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2007.
Follow @DeanBeeby on Twitter

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Rideau Canal, a UN world heritage site, may add new distinction: contaminated waterway | CBC News

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Workers rebuilding a brick wall along a 500-metre stretch of the Rideau Canal in Ottawa stirred up risky contaminants in the sediment, triggering Parks Canada to order comprehensive tests along a six-kilometre stretch to determine whether to list the canal as a contaminated site.

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PM Prism L'eau et le gouvernement

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Iqaluit may face a water shortage within five years, owing to shifting seasons, faster warming in the Arctic than anywhere on Earth and a growing population.

That's what a new study from researchers at York University and the University of Waterloo has concluded. The findings, published in the journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research, suggest that an aging infrastructure is already causing issues in water delivery, which would be compounded by climate change.

Water shortages aren't unknown in Arctic cities and towns. It's difficult to get water from lakes that are frozen for most of the year, and while the lakes may be vast, they're usually quite shallow, said Andrew Medeiros, co-author of the study.

Iqaluit gets its water from Lake Geraldine, but in 2015, it released plans to use the Apex River to the south as a secondary source.

But this concerns Medeiros, who feels this supplementary source won't be a solution to the city's water woes.

Wasted water

In a 2016 study, Medeiros, who studies climate change and climate modelling at York University, found that the average consumption of water in Iqaluit was roughly 350 litres per person per day. That's much higher than the average Canadian consumption of approximately 250 litres. And in Rankin Inlet the number is astonishingly high: 950 litres per day.

It's not that people in Iqaluit or Rankin Inlet are water wasters: before the water even makes it into a residence, much of it has leaked or bled out. The problem is aging pipes that crack and leak in the harsh climate. And unlike in cities such as Toronto, which draws from Lake Ontario, the wasted water doesn't flow back to the source - it's gone.

"Based on conservative estimates, that lake has enough water to sustain about 7,500 people," Medeiros said. "The problem is, Iqaluit is larger than 7,500 people, especially in the summer."

Drawing water from the Apex River is a temporary fix, Medeiros said, as the river simply doesn't have enough water to be viable as a long-term supply.

'It's not sufficient'

Using data such as flow and volume, the researchers modelled an unrealistic scenario: the use of all the water that flows in the river. Then they worked down to 45 per cent and to what the Department of Fisheries and Oceans actually allows - 10 per cent water use.

"We found that even if you drained that river completely dry, you still run out of water," Medeiros said. "It's not sufficient. And that's not even taking into account climate change ... you add on top of that climate projections, and it's our projection that there will be reduced snowfall in the time - and this is the critical part of all of our work - the time in which you need the water, there will be less water."

It's not that there won't be rain or snow, but the shift in seasons will mean earlier melt, for example. Or there may not be snow melt at all during times when it's needed, he said.

"You don't need water necessarily in May; you might need it in June. But all the snow's melted before June. Well, that's a problem," he said.

And taking into account 50 years of climate data, they found that should there be less rainfall and snowfall, or even extremes, they'd need "an astronomical amount" of river water to sustain the population.

"They will run out of water in any year in the next five years. It could be this year, it could be next year, it could be the year after that. They will run out of water at the end of winter in the next five years. That's a severe problem," Medeiros said. "And they need a solution very quickly. And what they're saying is not ethically possible....That's strong language, but that's how bad it is."

By 2024, the city would be in a perpetual state of being unable to restore its water supply.

When reached for comment about this study, the City of Iqaluit responded by email.

"Ensuring an ample supply of clean and regulated water for residents is a top priority for the City of Iqaluit," it said. "The city is working closely with all levels of government to ensure the long-term viability of delivering safe water for current and future needs."

The city would not comment on the report itself, saying it was not commissioned by the city.

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Iqaluit could face water shortage within 5 years, researcher says

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Iqaluit may face a water shortage within five years, owing to shifting seasons, faster warming in the Arctic than anywhere on Earth and a growing population. That's what a new study from researchers at York University and the University of Waterloo has concluded.