First Nations leaders want drinking water bill within 100 days of Parliament's return

Peter Zimonjic · CBC News

· Posted: May 12, 2025 2:09 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

First Nations leaders are urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to tackle a fig cardinal priorities successful the archetypal 100 days of Canada's caller Parliament.

"All these priorities are successful enactment with Prime Minister Carney's stated priorities, namely: economical development, housing, infrastructure and continued advancement connected reconciliation," Sen. Paul Prosper, who represents Nova Scotia, said successful Ottawa connected Monday.

Prosper's requests are supported by chiefs crossed Nova Scotia and Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse, who appeared astatine the quality league by video.

"Canada Strong cannot beryllium palmy without the afloat information of First Nations radical crossed this beauteous country," Woodhouse said, referencing a Liberal slogan from the past predetermination campaign.

The caller league of Parliament begins connected May 26.

The leaders accidental they privation the recently elected national authorities to put successful Indigenous prosperity by settling outstanding onshore claims disputes and introducing authorities that would summation financing for Indigenous projects.

Prosper besides wants the national authorities to put successful Indigenous-led lodging projects — the leaders accidental that Indigenous radical marque up lone 5 per cent of radical successful Canada, but relationship for 35 per cent of the stateless population. 

When Carney outlined his lodging program during the campaign, helium said his authorities would provide $6 cardinal successful grants that would beryllium earmarked for rapidly gathering "deeply affordable housing, supportive housing, Indigenous lodging and shelters."

Carney told the AFN in precocious April that helium would assistance with financing initiatives and bring infrastructure in Indigenous communities up to date. He besides said he's committed to the implementation of United Nations Declaration connected the Rights of Indigenous Peoples federally.

The First Nations leaders also privation Indigenous Services Canada to onslaught agreements with Nova Scotia's Mi'kmaw chiefs connected disablement payments and accusation sharing.

Enshrining drinking h2o standards successful law 

In December 2023, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu introduced Bill C-61, mounting drinking h2o standards successful First Nations communities. 

The authorities would person protected caller h2o sources, created minimum nationalist drinking h2o and wastewater standards and delivered sustainable backing for maintaining h2o quality.

It pledged to laic the instauration for a caller First Nations-led h2o instauration to enactment communities — the First Nations Water Commission.

The measure failed to marque it done Parliament and First Nations leaders privation the bill, oregon equivalent legislation, reintroduced erstwhile the House of Commons returns. 

Carney told the AFN helium would do that, on with taking moving toward a governance  exemplary that would guarantee First Nations tin maintain and make their infrastructure.

Striking an autarkic review

In March 2024, 2 Mi'kmaw fishermen were detained by Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) officers for sportfishing for babe eels aft the closure of the season.

The men said they were stripped of their footwear and phones, enactment into a DFO conveyance and dropped disconnected astatine astir 1 a.m. astatine a state presumption much than 5 hours from their location communities.

Former national fisheries curate Diane Lebouthillier ordered an outer reappraisal of the incidental past summer. 

Prosper, who is besides the erstwhile main of the Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation, and the different First Nations leaders accidental that portion Mi'kmaw members of the reappraisal sheet were announced successful March, the probe has yet to start. They privation the process to acceptable up the probe completed wrong 100 days of Parliament's return. 

The radical besides wants DFO's mandate to beryllium adjusted to guarantee it accounts for "Indigenous fisheries laws and absorption structures."