First Nations chiefs press Ottawa to revive drinking water bill

First Nations are pressing the Carney government to obey a four-year-old court settlement and pass long-promised drinking water legislation before year’s end or risk more legal action.

Bill C-61, the First Nations Clean Water Act, died on the order paper with the spring election call. Introduced in 2023, the proposed legislation would have set minimum standards for drinking water on reserves, acknowledged First Nations’ jurisdiction over water on their lands and recognized safe drinking water as a human right.