QUEEN’S PARK – Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife was encouraged to see an extension of the moratorium on water-taking posted today on Ontario’s Regulatory Registry by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks.
The change extends the moratorium for water-taking permits from January 2020 to October 2020.
“Indigenous groups and grassroots organizations across Ontario have put pressure on the Ford government to extend this moratorium. I’d like to commend them for their persistent efforts to protect Ontario’s water,” Fife said.
Fife is now calling on Minister Jeff Yurek to make the results of their review of policies and programs to manage water taking public and to engage transparently with local communities to ensure they have guaranteed access to clean and safe water supplies.
“If Ontario is going to be adequately prepared for a changing climate, the Ford government needs to commit to working with communities which rely on aquifers for their drinking water and put forward sound, evidence-based policies that prioritize the public ownership of Ontario’s water.”
Sign the petition here: https://www.catherinefife.com/protect_water_as_a_public_good