REALITY CHECK: Trudeau’s boil water legacy

Yesterday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vaguely committed again to fixing the ongoing boil water issues in First Nations communities:

"Everyone should have access to clean water, just like everyone should have a safe home and a good job." - CPAC, May 4, 2021

Aside from the tasteless move of equating access to clean, potable water with having a job , Justin Trudeau actually highlighted his chronic failure to bring clean water to First Nations reserves.

His commitment during the 2015 election campaign was clear and captured on this video from October 14th:

Trudeau: “We’ll address [the boil water advisories] as a top priority because it’s not right in a country like Canada that this has gone on for far too long.”

Questioner: “So to be clear, you are committing that within 5 years there will be clean water on all First Nations?”

Trudeau: “And for all those 93 communities, yes.”

Today, 6 years later, there are 52 boil water advisories.

Indigenous Services Minister’s response to this broken promise? Milquetoast commitment without timelines:

"Our commitment to lift all long-term drinking-water advisories on public systems on reserve remains firm." - Marc Miller, CBC, March 10, 2021

While Miller refused to give a target timelines in March, he has bravely answered that call by letting his spokesperson announce a completion date in 2026.

5 more years. Justin Trudeau has broken his promise, shattered his credibility—and left First Nations behind. Again.

Canadians deserve better.