All Things First Nations - CF help, protests, solutions, residential schools, etc. (merged)
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YZT580 said:
From what I read, the issue is the lake they are drawing it from isn't suitable for the size of the town, really isn't clean. A long term solution is to run the collection out the the river (see https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/attawapiskat-water-quality-emergency-1.5204652). Sounds like they also have issues with the sewage system being undersized, so it's the entire infrastructure from start to finish.
Giving them ownership of an undersized system that sounds like it was kludged in and not suited for purpose isn't really a fix. You need a proper water source with a sufficiently sized collection treatment system and the safe distribution system. Doesn't sound like they have any of those, nor the expertise to design, build, or operate one. This is the culmination of decades of neglect and piecemeal fixes, and what happens when you spend decades bandaiding things.
n RO system is just a microfilter so doesn't actually purify anything. UV systems are good, but you normally use chlorine or something else to make sure there is no contamination in the distribution end (but in lower levels). Some of the other reserves are drawing from water sources that have been massively contaminated by industrial pollution (approved by the Fed govt of the past) that needs special treatment, so it's a complicated issue and you need bespoke solutions tailored to the site and population.
Long term they need to give them the tools to be self sufficient, but the water and housing crises are going to cost billions to sort out after being left to fall apart for so long. Think this would be a good opportunity for some of the successful bands to start pooling together their expertise (and maybe start some companies to be able to compete for the contracts). There is enough work you could train and employ a whole generation on working on basic infrastructure projects on the reserves. There is a lot of distrust in the fed govt (justified and understandable IMHO), so these kind of initiatives may be more successful. There is something similar for the fire services, but it's ad hoc and limited by the very small resources they have access to to do outreach to other communities.
I may be being naive, but if DART can airlift, assemble and have a 60,000 litre potable water system in use within a day or two this really should not be a serious problem, even if the system is only temporary while a more permanent fix is installed.
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Colin P said:
UV sterilizes water, not purifies it. The problem with UV is that it's effectiveness degrades over time as lamp intensity drops and bio slime builds up on the quartz sleeve. UV is a barrier kill, not an all system kill. Any failure of the lamp contaminates everything downstream from the lamp. If I were drawing from a surface water source, I'd be looking at chlorine injection with a carbon filter farther downstream to neutralize it after it's done it's job.
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YZT580 said:
How far does that 60,000 litres of water go?
To quote from a report about water useage at FOBs, the WHO considers 50 litres per person per day the "minimum" sustainment requirement (that to keep someone alive and healthy) in the "developing world" (those places described by someone as "******* countries").
So if we take that 50 litres as an acceptable goal for the residents of a reserve to meet the standard of someone living in a mud and grass hut then that ROWPU would have to pump out 77,500 litres of potable water to meet the needs of the 1550 persons living on the Attawapiskat First Nation. But there are limitations on what that 77,500 litres would provide. If we would like them to have the luxurious standards that someone (say like a soldier on ops in a FOB) in a more advantageous situation receives, then the 13.2 gallons (US measure) would have to be increased to approx. 34 gallons (the figure the US Army uses for planning purposes) so that one could get a shower twice a week and have a small load of laundry done once a week; of course sanitation needs would have to be centralized latrines, and food preparation and hygiene (showers, laundry, etc) would also need to be centralized.
Which is why I said a temporary fix. 77,000 litres is easily covered by 60,000 times 2. Beats boiling and in the long run is cheaper than airlift. You need to think of the requirement in the same manner as if you were responding to a disaster. First requirement of any group is clean water, the rest comes later.
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Target Up said:
Running on solar with a gravity fed system in a cabin limits options. The nice thing about a filtered and UV system is you can fly the stuff in, train the locals to look after it and let them take some responsibility for it.
I shook my head at one BC Reserve, they complained they had no fire department. Yet I knew they were getting significant funds for the Oil and Gas companies to buy equipment. So I suggested setting up a volunteer one, they gave me the evil eye. The Oil and Gas companies would have fallen over themselves to help equip such a department, even if it starts small with a couple of large pickup trucks. Sadly what is missing in many reserves is a desire to help themselves. That is changing, but a lot slower than it should.
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Might be all the bonfires the protestors are starting then claiming they're sacred fires. OPP probably doesn't want to deal with destroying a religious and cultural symbol on camera. Pretty clever of the protestors when you think of it.Altair said:
Haggis
Army.ca Fixture
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Regarding the blockades, the PM stated that "We are not a country where politicians can order the police to do something,...". My, how times have changed since he gave an implied order to the RCMP to charge VADM (retd) Norman.
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In fact, Ontario's Indigenous affairs minister says the feds should be sitting down & talking to the protesters ASAP.Altair said:
I haven't seen media ask him or the Premier why the OPP haven't gone in yet, but even with a Team Blue government, I suspect Ontario & the OPP may be thinking carefully given previous events.
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Are railways not the jurisdiction of the CP Police and RCMP as they're federal? OPP would be responsible for highway blockades.
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PuckChaser said:
I have been asking the same question. CN and CP Railway Police have jurisdiction within 500m of railroad property, so why aren't the railway police taking the lead on this with significant OPP support?
What's CN's angle in all of this? My take is CN doesn't want a pipeline built as that will take away business from their railroad.
Humphrey Bogart said:
You may be on to something.
CN police threatened to arrest a journalist for trespassing while letting protesters stay there, weird world.
https://www.thepostmillennial.com/watch-police-officer-threatens-to-arrest-journalist-covering-anti-pipeline-blockade/
But I doubt CN is happy about losing the amount of money they are losing daily because of these protests.
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Ahh... if only the ghost of Sir Percy Girouard was around.
(Google him; I'll wait. He did OK running railroads... for an RMC guy ;D )
(Google him; I'll wait. He did OK running railroads... for an RMC guy ;D )
