Ottawa heads to court to fight class-action lawsuit over unsafe drinking water on First Nations

Three years after Ottawa settled two class-action lawsuits over unsafe drinking water on First Nations for $8-billion, government lawyers will appear in Federal Court this week to fight a third class action that could add another $1-billion to the government’s ballooning First Nations water bill.Shamattawa First Nation, a fly-in community located 750 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, has faced a boil-water advisory since December, 2018. A statement of claim filed by the community and its Chief, Jordna Hill, claims treated water in the community commonly causes sores, rashes and boils.“Time and again the federal government has promised to do better, and yet here we are, fighting in court for a basic human right,” Mr. Hill said in a statement sent to The Globe and Mail. “It is appalling that Canada has decided to battle First Nations on this issue, rather than come to the table as nation-to-nation partners.”