A broad range of organizations and individuals have already signed on to our open letter, showing their concern about the Alberta government's plan to move to a province-wide de-regulated market system for water allocation.

Click here to add your name to our letter

Honourable Diana McQueen, Minister of Environment and Water
425 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6

Dear Honourable Diana McQueen,

We the undersigned are concerned about the government’s current review of the Water Act and its potential impact on ecosystems, human health, treaty obligations, and the future development and sustainability of our communities and the economy in Alberta.

We believe that water, essential to all life, is a human right and that any system of allocation must prioritize maintaining sufficient in-stream flows, ecosystem health, and basic human needs above other uses, as well as recognize treaty obligations to First Nations peoples.

We are troubled that the Government of Alberta is moving towards a province-wide, largely deregulated market for water allocation, and doing so with no consultation with First Nation communities and residents in Alberta. The protection of water resources is a shared responsibility – meaning that all levels of government, First Nations, civil society, municipalities, rural districts, businesses and individuals have a role to play in conserving this important resource.

A market system that distributes water based on the ability to pay is not appropriate for a resource as critical as water. Moving to a market system is a fundamental abdication of the province and federal government’s fiduciary obligations. It will leave decisions about future development in the province up to a small number of players with senior licenses who will be able to act as water brokers, profiting by selling access to an essential resource that they received from the government for free. Decisions about who has access to water should be made by government in partnership with First Nation communities and should focus on environmental needs and the public interest. Such a focus is not possible when left to market forces. We have already seen other jurisdictions experience failures with water markets, resulting in rivers running dry and leaving towns and First Nation communities waterless because other entities with more money were able to buy up licenses.

Based on the three reports on water allocation released in November 2009 by the government, it appears that only market options have been explored and that the government has already decided that water markets will be the primary mechanism through which water will be allocated in the future. It is, however, the responsibility of the government to explore all policy options – and the experiences of other jurisdictions that have implemented them – in the process of deciding what system will work best for Alberta. Once a market-based water allocation system is established it will be irreversible because of obligations under international trade agreements. The government’s exclusive focus on a market-based system does not provide policy makers or people in Alberta with the full range of options before them, including ones that prioritize treaty rights and environmental and public interest objectives. Albertans deserve to see a range of real solutions before changes are made to the Water Act.

Decisions about how water will be allocated in Alberta are too important to be left up to a handful of stakeholders. Since your 2008 announcement that the Water Act would be reviewed and updated, the Alberta Government has consulted exclusively behind closed doors with its own appointed experts. Government efforts to engage First Nation communities and the public about the water allocation review have been wholly inadequate, and must be expanded and given sufficient time to ensure that the concerns of all people in Alberta are taken into account before sweeping changes are made. Albertans are deeply concerned about water in the province and have a right to engage on the issues of water and water allocation. It is the obligation of the government to ensure opportunities for meaningful public participation.

The Government of Alberta also has a fiduciary responsibility to respect the unique relationship and rights First Nations have regarding the land and water. First Nations rights and traditional practices, including fishing, hunting, and trapping, are all dependent on healthy freshwater ecosystems. Therefore, threats and impacts to water quality and quantity have direct implications for the cultural and economic survival of First Nation peoples. First Nations' rights require that they be meaningfully involved in water use and allocation decisions, as they are important factors in water management decision-making across the country.

We recognize the current water allocation system is inadequate to address the increasing water crisis in the province, and that fundamental changes are required. However, moving towards a market-based system for allocation will make the current situation worse, not better. We therefore call on you to:

1. Develop a provincial water allocation system that focuses on the public interest by prioritizing ecosystem health, basic human needs, and treaty and First Nation rights, rather than a market-based system that allocates access to water based on the ability to pay.
2. Explore and present to First Nations and residents in Alberta a range of policy options for how Alberta’s out-of-date water allocation system could best be updated to meet current challenges and expected future pressures.
3. Conduct broad and meaningful consultations with the public, impacted groups, and First Nations on the full range of options before making changes to the Water Act.

Signed:

Organizations
Public Interest Alberta
Council of Canadians
Sierra Club Prairie
Keepers of the Athabasca
National Farmers Union
Alberta Organic Producers Association
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Northern Alberta
West Athabasca Watershed Bioregional Society
Edmonton Friends of the North Environmental Society
Alberta Federation of Labour
United Nurses of Alberta
Health Sciences Association of Alberta
Western Cree Tribal Council
Duncan First Nation
Lavesta Group
Earth’s General Store
Canadian Federation of University Women, Alberta Council
Greenpeace
Ernst Environmental Services
The Urban Farmer
Edmonton Small Press Association
Society of High Prairie Regional and Environmental Action Committee
Tawatinaw Watershed Stewards
Greensence
Coalition for a Nuclear Free Alberta
Rainforest Action Network
Warburg Pembina Surface Rights Group
Parkland Institute
Peace River Environmental Society
Friends of an Unpolluted Lifestyle
Friends of Lilly Lake
Arusha Centre – Calgary
Edmontonians Supporting A Green Economy (E-SAGE)
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees

Individuals:
Chief Allan Adam, Grand Chief of Treaty 8
George Poitras, First Nations leader and former Chief of the Mikisew Cree First Nation
Dr. Kevin Timoney, water expert
Amarjeet Sohi, Edmonton City Councillor, Ward 12
Linda Sloan, Edmonton City Councillor, Ward 1, and Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Executive Member
Joe Ceci, Calgary Alderman, Ward 9
Dr. Debra Davidson, Associate Professor, Rural Economy and Renewable Resources, and Director, Environmental Research and Studies Centre
Dr. Laurie Adkin, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Alberta
Dr. Michael Gismondi, Director, Master of Arts - Integrated Studies, Athabasca University
Maude Barlow, author, water advocate, co-founder of the Blue Planet Project and national chairperson of the Council of Canadians
The Very Reverend Bill Phipps – former Moderator of the United Church of Canada

 

Signatories since the official launch:
Alberta Liberal Official Opposition
Alberta NDP Opposition
Edmonton and District Labour Council
Rewild Alberta!
Laurie Blakeman, Environment Critic for the Liberal Official Opposition, Critic for Culture and Community Spirit, and MLA for Edmonton-Centre
Rachel Notley, Environment Crtitic for the NDP Opposition, as well as 11 other critic areas and MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona
Assiniboia Community Housing Cooperative
Central Athabasca Stewardship Society
Water Watch Acadia
Samson Cree Nation Culture Department
Dave Loken, Edmonton City Councillor, Ward 3
Don Iveson, Edmonton City Councillor, Ward 10
Cindy Jefferies, Red Deer City Councillor
Dianne Wyntjes, Red Deer City Councillor
Malcom Parker, St Albert City Councillor
Cathy Crozier, Redcliff Town Councillor
Ed Russell, Canmore Town Councillor
Dr. John Hiemstra, Professor of Political Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, King’s University College
Smith Environmental Association
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
 

Also, since the launch, over 1000 more individuals have added their name to our letter
 

cc: Premier Alison Redford

Please Note: The original open letter went to then-Environment Minister Rob Renner on July 8, 2010. We have written to the new Minister of Environment and Water, the Honourable Diana McQueen, expressing our congratulations and our appreciation of her statements on public consultations on the water allocation review as a top priority. With that letter, we included a copy of the original open letter to Minister Renner, and informed Minister McQueen that we will continue to collect signatures to this letter for her.