Saskatchewan reserve to get clean drinking water after more than five years.
REGINA — Plans are underway to get a Saskatchewan First Nation clean water after more than five years under a drinking water advisory, and to meet a pledge to end such advisories on all reserves.
The project is expected to be complete by December 2018.
The announcement is part of the federal government’s commitment to end long-term drinking water advisories on public systems on reserves by 2021.
Bennett said the five-year plan for funding gives the government "real confidence that we’re going get this done and get these long-term boil water advisories ended."
Indigenous and Northern Affairs counts drinking water advisories for all on-reserve water systems that it directly funds and over which is has jurisdiction.
"Canadians, First Nations communities have yet to see that plan," he said in an interview.
I want to see how they intend to do this but they haven’t been able to demonstrate that at all."
There are professionals who can determine whether the existing timeline is within reach, Saganash added.
With files from Kristy Kirkup in Ottawa