Every community in this country deserves to turn on a tap and trust what comes out of it. For too many First Nations, that basic trust has been denied for years — sometimes decades.
I am pleased to share that the federal government has announced funding for a new water treatment plant for Long Plain First Nation — a major investment in the community’s long-term access to safe, reliable drinking water.
This kind of infrastructure does not make headlines the way other announcements do, but it may be among the most important kind of federal investment there is. A functioning water treatment plant means children can drink from the tap without a second thought. It means Elders are not living under a boil water advisory that should have ended years ago. It means a community can plan for housing growth, economic development, and a healthier future — because the most basic infrastructure of all is finally in place.
This investment is part of the federal government’s ongoing commitment to ending long-term drinking water advisories in First Nations communities across Canada — a commitment that this office takes seriously and will continue to advocate for until every community in Churchill–Keewatinook Aski and across this country has access to the clean water they are entitled to.
Congratulations to Long Plain First Nation. This is what investment in dignity looks like.