Oneida Nation of the Thames signs $43M clean water deal with federal government
Oneida Nation of the Thames signs $43M clean water deal with federal government
Clean and sustainable drinking water is one step closer for Oneida Nation of the Thames.
The community has struck a deal with the federal government to tap into Lake Huron’s water supply system via a pipeline from the nearby municipality of Strathroy via yhe Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System.
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) investing over $43 million to support the design and construction phases of this project.
Oneida held a water ceremony before making the official announcement.
Chief Todd Cornelius donned a ceremonial feather head-dress, and clutched an eagle feather to signify the importance of the occasion.
“This is a day that we identify ourself as a Haudenosaunee person, as a Oneida person working to better our nation and our territory,” said Cornelius.Chief Todd Cornelius and Brandon Doxtator World Water Day at Oneida Nation of the Thames on March 22, 2023. (Source: Oneida Nation of the Thames)
A news release from the Oneida Nation said, “The new connection to the Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System will provide reliable and sustainable access to safe drinking water to approximately 528 homes and all the existing community buildings in Oneida Nation of the Thames.”
The capacity of the First Nation’s existing piped distribution system will also be upgraded and expanded to deliver potable water and water for fire protection to the existing core community and homes planned for future development.
A boil water advisory has been in effect in the community since September of 2019. Oneida resident Sandra Doxtator told CTV News it’s been much longer since she’s dared to drink it.
“I’ve never drank the water for a lot of years, you know, over 15, 20 years,” she explained. “It just has a… it has a certain taste to it.”
According to Oneida, the water infrastructure project will take 18 to 24 months. “Once completed, there will be clean drinking water directly into the homes of the Oneida community.”
Sandra Doxtator said it can’t come soon enough. “I think that will be good for our community, to drink clean water, you don’t have to worry.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
Windsor city council voted Monday in favour of adopting a master plan with high hopes for City Hall Square and a so-called civic esplanade stretching down to the river
A united front was on full display Monday as community leaders, politicians, business people, unions and educators gathered together at Windsor City Hall to ensure the NextStar Energy battery plant deal gets closed.
Doctors in their final year of training, called residency, can choose to do a one-month rotation at the Shelter Health Initiative (SHI) caring for Windsor’s homeless population.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
It's the end of an era for one sporting goods store at Bank Street and Laurier Avenue. The owner says a lack of foot traffic downtown is behind the decision to close a store that's been operating for 41 years.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
One long-time electoral tradition came to an end on election day, when Postmedia announced there would be no printed newspaper announcing the winner in Calgary.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
Chief Todd Cornelius and Brandon Doxtator World Water Day at Oneida Nation of the Thames on March 22, 2023. (Source: Oneida Nation of the Thames)
