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Moncton H2O coalition for public water launches new web tool

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 10:19 am
by Oscar
Moncton H2O coalition for public water launches new web tools!

[ https://canadians.org/blog/moncton-h2o- ... -web-tools ]

August 1, 2018 - 11:49 am

The Council of Canadians, the Common Front for Social Justice, the Moncton and District Labour Council, the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, and CUPE New Brunswick have banded together to see Moncton’s municipal water service brought back into public hands. Moncton H2O recently launched its website [ https://monctonh2o.ca/ ] and petition to Moncton’s city councillors [ https://monctonh2o.ca/#petition ].

In May of this year, the coalition made a presentation to city council calling for public ownership options to be considered in the city’s search for the next contract. Recently, a city communications director confirmed that a public feasibility study should be in the works soon! Now is the time to speak up and let city council know that we want public ownership of Moncton’s water utility by signing the petition! [ https://monctonh2o.ca/#petition ]

It is unconscionable that any Canadian cities rely on privately-run water utilities for their drinking water. The Council of Canadians was founded on the idea that water is a public good, and should not be privately owned and sold for profit. Our activists, from honorary chairperson Maude Barlow to Moncton chapter activist Pamela Ross, know that we must keep water in public hands.

“We know residents care about this issue and we hope to give them the means to put enough pressure on Councillors to convince them to consider the public option”, said Pamela Ross, from the Moncton Chapter of the Council of Canadians. You can learn more about this issue and voice your opinion via [ monctonh2o.ca ].

French transnational Veolia, one of the world's largest and wealthiest water corporations, was contracted in 1998 to build and operate Moncton’s drinking water treatment plant at Turtle Creek, and has been operating that facility every since. This contract expires in December 2019 and as such, the City of Moncton quietly launched a Request for Qualification process early this year, which ended on May 4th. We’ve been working with Moncton H2O to see the utility move back into public hands since early 2018.

Blogs by Robin Tress
Council of Canadians' Atlantic Regional Organizing Assistant
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/robin-tress ]