Provincial Water Strategy

The NDP views water as a basic human right, a public trust. We will never put the interest of companies over the needs of Ontarians. We will ensure everyone in Ontario has access to clean drinking water, clean water for sanitation and growing food, and that access is sustainable.

We’ll work with farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and rural Ontarians to protect and restore our natural spaces. We’ll preserve Ontario’s natural resources and beauty, respect and mobilize traditional land knowledge, and remove and sequester GHGs – lowering their concentration in the atmosphere. 

A New Democrat Government will: 

  • Increase protection of Ontario parks and expand access to green spaces and parks across Ontario, while protecting ecosystems and biodiversity 
  • Work collaboratively with Conservation Authorities, insurance companies and municipal governments on flooding-oriented land-use planning 
  • Rehabilitate our wetlands, forests and vegetation through our Youth Climate Corps 
  • Develop a Provincial Food Strategy to promote access to healthy food and strengthen the resilience of Ontario’s food systems 
  • Develop a Provincial Water Strategy based on the principle that decisions about water must be based on the public interest, and guarantee public access to sustainable water sources. 

Our Provincial Water Strategy will: 

  • Ensure Source Water Protection Plans are implemented so every Ontarian has access to reliable, safe drinking water, and we can end water advisories 
  • Clean up the mercury in the English-Wabigoon River system and ensure funding for a dedicated mercury treatment centre so people can get the care they need after decades of mercury poisoning 
  • Launch a transparent and public review of the Permit-To-Take-Water process, especially bottled water, to ensure permitting provides for long-term stability, public use, and good watershed management 
  • Create an inventory of water, including measurement of use and return 
  • Ensure that communities have the water needed for planned growth 
  • Ensure Long-Term Water Use Planning based on current and future needs, and ensuring water use is sustainable. 
  • Collaborate with Indigenous Peoples to ensure traditional territories and foods are well-managed and protected 
  • Work with members of Ontario’s farming community to maximize their potential as land stewards, providing food for Ontarians and sequestering carbon 
  • Expand the Greenbelt and work with farmers and municipal leaders to protect Ontario’s farmland from encroachment by land speculators

Add your name to support the NDP's plan to develop a Provincial Water Strategy in Ontario.

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