Tataskweyak Cree Nation to get $40M water pipeline after 6 years under boil water advisory

Taralee Beardy never thought she would see her community get a safer source of water, but a national $8 billion drinking water class-action settlement affecting First Nations is set to change that.

Beardy, the chief of Tataskweyak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, says the construction of a new 40-kilometre pipeline and water treatment plant for her community is set to begin next spring, meaning Tataskweyak's six-year boil water advisory will be coming to an end.

"Being able to drink out from the tap is something the rest of Canada takes for granted, and we can't do that," she told CBC News on Tuesday.

The community of about 2,400 people is located on the shores of Split Lake, northeast of Thompson. It has been under a boil water advisory since May 2017, affecting 361 homes and 5 community buildings, Indigenous Services Canada's website says.

"It's been causing a lot of health issues for many people," including skin issues as well as stomach and mental illnesses, Beardy said.

Tataskweyak will begin to draw its water from Assean Lake through the new pipeline and water treatment plant, according to ISC. The community's existing water treatment plant will be converted into a booster station.

Beardy says the water treatment plant is on the Nelson River, which is subject to waters diverted from many Manitoba Hydro dams. "So we have a lot of sediment in our water and it's very difficult for our current water treatment plant to keep the water clean."

The cost of the new pipeline is estimated to be $40 million, according to Beardy.

"We're very grateful," said Beardy. "We never did think this time would come."

Patty Hajdu, the federal minister of Indigenous services, says a trip to Tataskweyak affected her profoundly after she learned how much people suffered from Split Lake's contamination.

"People have swum in that lake, and drank from that lake, and now it's poisoned to the degree that they're not comfortable letting their children swim in that lake," she told CBC News on Tuesday.

The federal government proposed a new law Monday intended to protect fresh water sources, create minimum national drinking water and wastewater standards in First Nations, and provide sustainable funding for maintaining water quality.

Ottawa was required to introduce the new bill by the terms of the $8 billion drinking water class-action settlement for First Nations. Former Tataskweyak chief Doreen Spence was the lead plaintiff in the class action.

The deal includes $1.5 billion to compensate First Nations and their members who were deprived of clean drinking water for at least one year between November 1995 and March 2024, along with $6 billion for the construction and maintenance of water infrastructure.

Lack of funding and commitments for water source protection and management from the federal government led to boil water advisories for more than 100 First Nations communities, said Hajdu. There are currently 28 remaining.

'We cannot let up'

Hajdu says the legislation is for all First Nations communities and not just those under boil water advisories.

"I think we're in a good place to end that kind of on-and-off, systemic discrimination that you see, depending on who's in power. This is the underpinning of equity for water access for First Nations and it will deeply affect Manitoba First Nations."

She says access to water is an inherent right, and the new legislation ensures equitable funding to prevent future boil water advisories for First Nations.

"We need to ensure, as Canadians, that this is top of mind for everyone," she said. "We cannot let up."