(Halifax) – A campaign to get municipalities in Nova Scotia to stop the sale and provision of bottled water in their facilities just got a major shot in the arm.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Board of Directors voted on the weekend to encourage their 1,775 members to “phase out the sale and purchase of bottled water.”
At the board meeting in Victoria, British Columbia the FCM passed a strongly worded resolution, put forward by the cities of Toronto and London, “urging” all Canadian municipalities to take action on bottled water.
“The FCM resolution is a resounding victory and the latest indication that bottled water’s 15 minutes are up and the tap is back,” says Joe Cressy, who is with the Polaris Institute and part of the ‘Turn on the Taps and Ditch the Bottle’ coalition here in Nova Scotia.
“In the same way that Coca-Cola doesn’t sell Pepsi in its buildings, we’re very pleased to see the FCM encouraging municipalities not to provide bottled water on city property,” he says.
Across Canada municipalities and school boards, universities and colleges, faith-based organizations and restaurants are standing up for public water by taking out the bottle.
Canadian Statistics:
- 28 Municipalities from six provinces have voted to restrict bottled water.
- The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) recently encouraged their 410 municipal members to take action on bottled water.
- 21 Universities and Colleges have established bottled water free zones.
The coalition is made up of the following organizations: Ecology Action Centre, CUPE Nova Scotia, The Council of Canadians, KAIROS Halifax, Polaris Institute, Canadian Federation of Students – Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Environmental Network, Oxfam Canada: Maritimes, Hydro Heroes.