Local Water Collaboration to Enhance Community Source Water Protection at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Ontario
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Local Water Collaboration to Enhance Community Source Water Protection at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Ontario by Natalya Garrod A Thesis presented to The University of Guelph In partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development Guelph, Ontario, Canada © Natalya Garrod, June, 2020 ABSTRACT LOCAL WATER COLLABORATION TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY SOURCE WATER PROTECTION AT CHIPPEWAS OF THE THAMES FIRST NATION, ONTARIO Natalya Garrod Advisor: University of Guelph, 2020 Professor Sheri Longboat First Nations in Canada are disproportionately affected by chronic drinking water insecurity. Water security, sustainable access to adequate quantities of water of acceptable quality, can be improved through source water protection (SWP). Due to the ubiquitous nature of water, upstream and downstream users must collaborate to ensure successful SWP. The goal of this research is to understand how collaboration between water actors from Chippewas of the Thames First Nations, local conservation authorities and municipalities can support First Nations SWP. A conceptual framework for water governance was created which framed collaboration as both a process and a structure. Key findings include perspectives of water actors towards collaboration, activities that enable collaboration, and challenges that constrain water collaboration. This research defines what collaboration means to water actors, what kinds of collaborations occur, what barriers exist, and helps to inform the development of future water collaboration among multiple actors. iii DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis to my parents, Lynne and Phil Garrod for supporting all my accomplishments, big and small. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge and thank the following people: Dr. Sheri Longboat for her patient guidance, knowledge, commitment, generosity, and continued support provided since my undergraduate degree and throughout all stages of my thesis research and master’s degree. I am grateful to have a supervisor who is passionate about her students’ work, knowledge retention, and ensuring it is done in the most respectful way possible. Sheri has taught me to dig deeper and think critically about the meaning and impact of my work. My committee, Dr. Jana Levison for her insights, attention to detail, and her commitment to working with me to develop work for which I can be proud. The examiner for my oral defence, their constructive criticism, questions, and recommendations on this thesis defence helped me to improve my quality of work. All participants in this study for their openness and availability to work with me and the time they gave to participate. Thank you to participants representing Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, the City of London, St. Clair Conservation Authority, Lower Thames Conservation Authority, Ontario Water Works Association, and Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks. My family and friends for their support, enthusiasm, and willingness to edit and offer recommendations. I would also like to acknowledge the following funding sources that made this research possible: Social Science and Humanities Research Council (Co-Investigators: Sheri Longboat and Dr. Brady Deaton) and the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development for funding to attend field conferences to disseminate my research findings and to make professional connections. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................ ii Dedication ........................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... x List of Abbreviations and Acronyms................................................................................... xi List of Appendices ............................................................................................................. xii 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Goal and Objectives ............................................................................................ 5 1.2 Notes on Terminology ......................................................................................... 6 1.3 Researcher Positionality ...................................................................................... 7 1.4 Outline and Organization ..................................................................................... 8 2 Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 9 2.1 Source Water Protection ..................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 What is Source Water Protection? ............................................................... 9 2.1.2 Source Water Protection in Ontario ........................................................... 11 vi 2.1.3 Federal Source Water Protection and First Nations.................................. 15 2.1.4 Section Summary ....................................................................................... 17 2.2 Collaboration ...................................................................................................... 18 2.2.1 What is Collaboration? ............................................................................... 18 2.2.2 Collaboration as a Process ........................................................................ 21 2.2.3 Collaboration as a Structure for Water Governance ................................. 23 2.3 Water Governance and First Nations ................................................................ 26 2.4 First Nations Water Rights................................................................................. 28 2.4.1 First Nations Water Management .............................................................. 30 2.5 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................... 31 3 Methodology .............................................................................................................. 33 3.1 Case Description................................................................................................ 33 3.1.1 Chippewas of the Thames First Nation ..................................................... 35 3.1.2 Primary Water Actors within the Case Study ............................................ 40 3.1.3 Thames Sydenham and Region Source Water Protection Area .............. 41 3.1.4 Chippewas of the Thames First Nation Source Water Protection ............ 42 3.2 Research Methods ............................................................................................. 43 3.2.1 Sampling and Participants ......................................................................... 43 3.2.2 Data Collection ........................................................................................... 44 vii 3.2.3 Procedures and Consent ........................................................................... 45 3.2.4 Data Analysis .............................................................................................. 46 3.2.5 Data Triangulation ...................................................................................... 47 4 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................. 49 4.1 Perspectives on Collaboration........................................................................... 49 4.2 Collaborations within the Thames Sydenham Watershed ............................... 54 4.3 Key Challenges to Water Collaboration ............................................................ 58 4.3.1 Competing Priorities ................................................................................... 58 4.3.2 Different Perspectives of Water ................................................................. 58 4.3.3 Budgeting for Collaboration ....................................................................... 61 4.3.4 Navigating Governance Structures and Uncertainty ................................. 65 4.3.5 Lack of Impetus to Collaborate .................................................................. 66 4.3.6 Historical Mistrust ....................................................................................... 68 4.4 Chippewas of the Thames First Nations and Source Water Protection Under Clean Water Act ............................................................................................................ 69 4.5 Chapter Conclusion ........................................................................................... 71 5 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 73 5.1 Background of the Thames River Clear Water Revival ...................................