TOXIC WATER: THE KASHECHEWAN STORY Introduction It was the straw that broke the prover- had been under a boil-water alert on and Focus bial camel’s back. A fax arrived from off for years. In fall 2005, Canadi- Health Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) at the A week after the water tested positive ans were stunned to hear of the Kashechewan First Nations council for E. coli, Indian Affairs Minister appalling living office, revealing that E. coli had been Andy Scott arrived in Kashechewan. He conditions on the detected in the reserve’s drinking water. offered to provide the people with more Kashechewan First Enough was enough. A community bottled water but little else. Incensed by Nations Reserve in already plagued by poverty and unem- Scott’s apparent indifference, the Northern Ontario. ployment was now being poisoned by community redoubled their efforts, Initial reports documented the its own water supply. Something putting pressure on the provincial and presence of E. coli needed to be done, and some members federal governments to evacuate those in the reserve’s of the reserve had a plan. First they who were suffering from the effects of drinking water. closed down the schools. Next, they the contaminated water. The Ontario This was followed called a meeting of concerned members government pointed the finger at Ot- by news of poverty and despair, a of the community. Then they launched tawa because the federal government is reflection of a a media campaign that shifted the responsible for Canada’s First Nations. standard of living national spotlight onto the horrendous Ottawa pointed the finger back at the that many thought conditions in this remote, Northern province, saying that water safety and unimaginable in Ontario reserve. Eventually, the condi- public health were under provincial Canada. This News in Review story tions on all of Canada’s reserves were jurisdiction. Finally, on October 25, looks at the crisis in being discussed, leading to a national Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty Kashechewan. debate on the federal government’s promised to evacuate the sickest in the responsibility for Canada’s Aboriginal community—a staggering 50 per cent community. of the population of the reserve. Within Definition a week, close to 1 000 of Kasheche- E. coli is the short The Crisis wan’s 1 900 residents were evacuated, term for Escherichia The fax that got the ball rolling arrived with most going to Ottawa, Sudbury, coli, bacteria that on October 14, 2005. It contained the Cochrane, and Timmins. can be deadly to hot-button reference to E. coli, the same The crisis in Kashechewan high- human beings. bacteria that killed seven and made over lighted two important issues. First, it 2 000 people sick in Walkerton, demonstrated the brutal living condi- Ontario, in 2000. Band officials, along tions on some native reserves. Many YV Sections with other members of the community, critics wondered if Ottawa’s apparent marked with this symbol indicate leapt into action, using the E. coli result apathy toward Canada’s First Nations content suitable for to bring as much attention as possible to people had led to an acceptance of younger viewers. the plight of the people of Kashe- poverty as a norm on reserves. The chewan. Letters, faxes and e-mails were evidence seemed to support this view. sent to government officials and the Just in the area of maintaining the water media. Pictures went into circulation supply on reserves, Ottawa appeared to showing children from the reserve have failed miserably. Within weeks of suffering from skin conditions like the Kashechewan story, reports began impetigo and scabies. Reports began to circulating that almost 100 of Canada’s surface that the people of Kashechewan 858 native reserves were living under CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 20 boil-water advisories. Another report lem could have been dealt with effec- Did you know . stated that only 60 of Ontario’s 134 tively. Instead, Canadians watched both Health issues often reserves had water treatment operators levels of government struggle to re- force school clos- ings in remote with any formal training (Canadian spond, while the media brought condi- Aboriginal commu- Press, “Water Training Needed at tions, not only in Kashechewan but on nities and by Grade Reserves, Agency Says,” November 4, all reserves, into the national spotlight. 8, some students 2005). One news story reported that, in Then, out of what appeared to be shame are two years 2003, the Ontario Clean Water Agency and shock, the provincial government behind the typical (www.ocwa.com) had identified promised to evacuate the sickest resi- Canadian student. Kashechewan as a “Walkerton-in- dents to proper medical facilities, while waiting.” If Ottawa was responsible for the federal government made a slew of Quote Canada’s First Nations people, how promises to the people of Kashechewan “These are unac- could they have missed these extremely as well as First Nations people across ceptable, deplor- important issues of public safety? Canada. able conditions. No The second issue involved federal The Kashechewan story forced Cana- families should and provincial responsibility for the dians to examine their collective con- have to tolerate what those families situation on the reserve. The story broke science. Are First Nations people being are going on October 14, but the evacuation order treated as second-class citizens? Is the through.” — was not issued until October 25. For the provincial and federal government Premier Dalton 11 days between these two events, the bickering over responsibility a reflec- McGuinty, Toronto provincial government took the position tion of Canadian indifference to First Star, October 27, 2005 that the reserve was under federal Nations people? This examination of jurisdiction while the federal govern- conscience leads to the most important ment called on the provincial govern- question of all: will Canada embrace ment to intervene because health and First Nations people into the fabric of water are provincial responsibilities. A Canadian society and ensure that a co-ordinated effort might have been crisis like the one in Kashechewan will pursued immediately so that the prob- never happen again? To Consider 1. What was the immediate cause of the crisis in Kashechewan? What fears did the crisis arouse in people? 2. What action did the Ontario government take to try to deal with the health concerns of the people of Kashechewan? 3. Briefly describe the two issues the Kashechewan story highlighted. 4. Answer the three questions posed in the final paragraph of the article. CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 21 TOXIC WATER: THE KASHECHEWAN STORY YV Video Review 1. Where is Kashechewan? How many people live there? Answer the ques- tions in the spaces provided. 2. What problems with the reserve’s drinking water emerged in fall 2005? Archives 3. How did the federal and provincial governments respond to the The CBC Digital Kashechewan crisis? Archives has several stories on condi- tions on Canadian reserves. Consider a visit to http:// 4. Describe some of the health problems that people suffered as a result of archives.cbc.ca and the poor quality of the Kashechewan water supply. explore the files, “Davis Inlet: Innu Community in 5. Why were the federal and provincial governments blaming each other Crisis,” “Mercury for the Kashechewan crisis? Rising: The Poison- ing of Grassy Narrows.” You 6. What deal did the federal government make with the people of might also wish to Kashechewan? review the Walkerton crisis by viewing the file “Death on Tap: The 7. According to the documentary, how many First Nations are under a boil- Poisoning of Walkerton.” water advisory? _____________________________________________________ 8. How long has the water on the Kwicksutaineuk-ah-kwaw-ah-mish been undrinkable? _______________________________________________________ Analysis 1. Based on your viewing of the documentary, who do you think is respon- sible for the Kashechewan crisis? Support your answer with evidence from the documentary. 2. How should the federal and provincial governments have reacted to the Kashechewan crisis? CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 22 TOXIC WATER: THE KASHECHEWAN STORY The Plight of Kashechewan There is no disputing the desperate major cause of health problems, mould Further Research situation of the people of Kashechewan. is a consistent and persistent problem in To stay informed Located on the north shore of the Kashechewan’s houses, businesses and about Aboriginal issues, visit the Albany River, about 10 kilometres school buildings. This is why band official Web site of upstream from James Bay, leaders have consistently demanded to Indian and North- Kashechewan is the very definition of be relocated. They believe that their ern Affairs at an isolated community. Its nearest health will always be in jeopardy as www.ainc- neighbour, Fort Albany, is most easily long as they are located so far down the inac.gc.ca. The accessible by boat and air, while the Albany River. Couple this with the fact Assembly of First Nations nearest urban centre, Timmins, can only that the water intake pipe for the (www.afn.ca) be accessed by plane and is located over reserve’s water supply was placed 135 speaks on behalf of 400 kilometres away. The problem with metres downstream from most First Nations isolation is that there is often not a lot Kashechewan’s sewage lagoon, and it is in Canada. to do on the reserve. The Kashechewan clear to see why the reserve was seen unemployment rate is a staggering 87 by many as a disaster waiting to happen. per cent. While some members of the Bad water has meant that the reserve Quote “I wash the clothes community participate in traditional has been under a boil-water alert on and but the rashes still hunting and fishing practices some of off for years.