Canada’s federal government has reached a C$8bn settlement in two class-action lawsuits with First Nations communities over access to clean drinking water. The agreement promises to compensate residents, ensure drinking water infrastructure is built and modernize legislation – as First Nations leaders have been demanding for decades. “Our commitment is to ensure that all First Nations communities have access to clean, safe and reliable drinking water,” said Marc Miller, Indigenous services minister, at a press conference late on Friday. “Indigenous people have had to fight in court for basic human rights, including for access to clean drinking water,” he tweeted after visiting Neskantaga last week. An additional $400m would be distributed annually to ensure communities can access clean drinking water, totalling nearly $6bn over the next ten years – funds that were previously announced by the government.

Source: The Guardian August 02, 2021 16:51 UTC