by Josephine Machado

Graphic design by Qingyue Guo

Canada is home to 20% of the world’s freshwater reserves, and nearly 7% of the world’s annually renewable water.¹ Despite this abundant water supply, Canada has, and continues to face, water crises similar to other countries across the globe. Most Canadians consider access to clean water a given, however, for thousands in Pikangikum First Nation, water supplies have become persistently unsafe, and sometimes nonexistent. ² This issue is not unique to Canada—it is a representation of the neglect that threatens the well-being of various marginalized communities. Whether they be low-income, or consisting of visible minorities, many demographics have faced the serious repercussions of unsafe drinking water. 

Pikangikum First Nation, a remote Ojibway community of about 4000 individuals located more than 500 km northwest of Thunder Bay, has faced long-standing challenges due to a lack of proper infrastructure for safe water supply.³ The most recent ongoing drinking advisory for Pikangikum was issued in February of 2024.³ This follows several advisories declared previously, including those between 2000 and 2002 as well as 2005 and 2019. ⁴ Despite Pikangikum consisting of 500 homes, its water and sewage infrastructure are insufficiently developed.⁴  Most Pikangikum households lack running water, with only 109 homes having a working tap. The remainder of individuals must travel to points in the community to collect water in buckets for both drinking or cooking. ⁵  The water treatment plant in the community only provides services to the school, nursing station, band office, and a few government buildings.⁴ Still, there remains only one functioning drinking water access point within the community.⁴ Other options are costly and inconvenient; buckets can be filled at the lake, bottled water can be purchased at the Northern store, or flights can be taken 100 km South to Red Lake to buy cases in bulk.⁴ Decades of underfunding, overcrowded housing, and deteriorating water and sewage infrastructure reflect a persistent neglect of First Nations communities—neglect rooted in inequitable policies and budgetary caps that have continuously prioritized urban systems over reserve realities. 

These challenges not only strain residents financially and logistically but also create significant health risks. The direct consequences of a lack of clean water range from eczema to skin infections and parasites, ^3,4  given that regular bathing is essential to treat recurring skin infections. More severely, individuals belonging to the community have been injured or killed whilst travelling to access water and toilet facilities. ³ Furthermore, the lack of water access has contributed to the inability to adequately fight fires in the First Nation. In fact, two adults and a child were confirmed dead in a house fire in 2023, as fire trucks that could have helped douse the flames earlier were frozen.⁶  This follows a previous fire that claimed the lives of six adults and three children back in 2016, due to a lack of basic firefighting equipment among other violations.⁷  In a 2025 CBC interview regarding the lawsuit, Carolina Budiman, senior health project manager for the Pikangikum Health Authority recounts, “We have one fire hydrant, but it only works if everything else shuts down.” ⁴  

This fragile infrastructure has now reached a breaking point. In May of 2025, Pikangikum First Nation declared a formal state of emergency over the catastrophic failure of its water and sewage systems.² The First Nation has made it clear that dealing with this crisis can no longer be put on hold, announcing that they will be taking the Government of Canada to federal court for damages and emergency relief. ²  The statement of claim previously obtained by CBC News states that the federal government has violated Pikangikum’s constitutional, Charter, and treaty rights by failing to ensure proper access to potable water, in addition to both sewage and fire prevention systems. ⁴ This issue is part of a larger trend. As of July 2025, 38 long-term drinking water advisories remained in effect on First Nations reserves.⁸  This is despite the Canadian government’s pledge made in the 2015 federal election campaign to eliminate all long-term drinking water advisories on First Nations reserves by March 2021.⁹ Meaningful solutions require more than simple stopgap repairs—they demand substantive federal investment guided by a combination of Indigenous sovereignty, capacity‑building for maintenance, and enforceable national water safety standards that do not exempt reserves.

Grassy Narrows First Nation is yet another community in Canada that has faced similar hardships, suffering one of the most infamous water crises in Canadian history. Contamination of their river system can be traced back to the 1960’s and 70’s when nine tonnes of mercury used for paper-bleaching were dumped into the river near Grassy Narrows, causing widespread contamination.¹⁰ Just under 1,000 people live in Grassy Narrows First Nation and rely on fish as a staple component of the community’s diet. Tragically, it is estimated that 90 percent of Grassy Narrows’ population has symptoms of mercury poisoning¹⁰, including tremors, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular effects, headaches, cognitive and motor dysfunction, and even death.¹¹ Despite the federal government pledging $19.5 million dollars in 2017 for a mercury treatment centre, the construction remains incomplete as of 2025.¹⁰ This story exemplifies the continuing environmental racism, wherein systemic neglect disproportionality plagues Canada’s indigenous communities. 

Calling attention to these crises is critical for achieving meaningful solutions. Renowned film, “Erin Brockovich” embodies this concept, and brought a great deal of attention to the importance of safe drinking water to the general health and well-being of communities. The movie, starring Julia Roberts, who plays American legal clerk, Erin Brockovich, recounts her role in the case of Hinkley California residents versus Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). ¹² PG&E used hexavalent chromium to prevent pipe corrosion in its cooling system between the 1950’s and 1960’s, causing toxic chemicals to seep into the groundwater. ¹³ Residents of Hinkey suffered unusually high rates of cancer, asthma, recurrent bronchitis, and other illnesses. ¹⁴  The cause of these illnesses were unknown until Brockovich investigated after having noticed the pattern of health concerns in Hinkley’s community, leading to her advocating for them to receive justice.¹³ The case ended in a $333 million settlement in 1996, the largest paid in a direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history at the time.¹³  Corporate accountability was made a subject of attention due to the release and popularity of the film, becoming a strong symbol of environmental activism. ¹⁴ This case is a cornerstone example of bringing attention to concerns regarding environmental health and corporate responsibility, and how awareness and activism can lead to accountability and change.

The common denominator among each of these water crises is a lack of government and corporate accountability. From the promises made by the Canadian government to First Nation’s peoples, to the irreversible damage seen in the water crises that have plagued the United States, it is evident that regulatory bottlenecks and acts of corporate greed and negligence can have dire consequences. Pikangikum’s emergency is not an isolated story–it’s part of a long-standing continuum. Grassy Narrows and Hinkley also further illustrate the consequences of delaying environmental justice. These crises do not only permanently alter lives but also act sever the trust between a government and its people. With modern day technology, the issue seems to be less so one of capability, but more to do with will. Water access needs to be prioritized lest we deem the rights of the First Nations peoples to be less than other inhabitants of Canada. Various communities have spoken out loud and clear, however, it is up to us to hear them and amplify their concerns. 

“The Just Society will be one in which the rights of minorities will be safe from the whims of intolerant majorities” (Trudeau, 1968). 

References

1.  Canada E and CC. Water use in Canada [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 3]. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/water-use.html

2.  Staff N. Ontario First Nation seeks emergency relief in Federal Court over water crisis [Internet]. CityNews Toronto. 2025 [cited 2025 Aug 3]. Available from: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/05/09/ontario-first-nation-seeks-emergency-relief-in-federal-court-over-water-crisis/

3.  Ontario First Nation seeks emergency relief in Federal Court over water crisis | Globalnews.ca [Internet]. Global News. [cited 2025 Aug 3]. Available from: https://globalnews.ca/news/11172800/ontario-first-nation-seeks-emergency-relief-in-federal-court-over-water-crisis/

4.  Law S. Pikangikum First Nation takes federal government to court over lack of water, wastewater infrastructure. CBC News [Internet]. 2025 May 14 [cited 2025 Aug 3]; Available from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/pikangikum-first-nation-water-wastewater-1.7533789

5.  Habitat for humanity canada | clean drinking water in pikangikum [Internet]. Habitat for Humanity Canada. [cited 2025 Aug 3]. Available from: https://habitat.ca/en/stories/clean-drinking-water-in-pikangikum

6.  Ontario First Nation says bodies of 2 adults, 1 child recovered after house fire | Globalnews.ca [Internet]. Global News. [cited 2025 Aug 3]. Available from: https://globalnews.ca/news/9514933/opp-pikangikum-fire/

7.  Staff. Nine dead in family house fire at remote Canadian indigenous community. The Guardian [Internet]. 2016 Mar 30 [cited 2025 Aug 3]; Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/30/canada-first-nation-house-fire-nine-dead-indigenous

8.  Canada G of CIS. Ending long-term drinking water advisories [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2025 Aug 3]. Available from: https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1506514143353/1533317130660

9.  Trudeau’s promise to improve First Nations drinking water years behind schedule: federal government | Globalnews.ca [Internet]. Global News. [cited 2025 Aug 3]. Available from: https://globalnews.ca/news/7836421/first-nations-water-trudeau-broken-promises/

10.  Law S. Mercury poisoning near Grassy Narrows First Nation worsened by industrial pollution, study suggests. CBC News [Internet]. 2024 May 23 [cited 2025 Aug 3]; Available from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/grassy-narrows-first-nation-methylmercury-study-1.7211750

11.  Mergler D, Philibert A, Fillion M, Silva JD. Childhood mercury exposure and early death in Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada: a retrospective study. Environmental Health [Internet]. 2025 Jun 23 [cited 2025 Aug 3];24(1):39. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-025-01190-7

12.  Erin Brockovich: California water battle “woke me up.” 2021 Mar 22 [cited 2025 Aug 3]; Available from: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56462793

13.  Brockovich-pg&e case | ebsco research starters [Internet]. [cited 2025 Aug 3]. Available from: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/law/brockovich-pge-case

14.  News ABC. Erin Brockovich: the real story of the town three decades later [Internet]. ABC News. [cited 2025 Aug 3]. Available from: https://abcnews.go.com/US/erin-brockovich-real-story-town-decades/story?id=78180219