POTLOTEK,N.S.–WhenPatriciaPaulsawherbathtubfillingwithcloudy,brownwater,shedecidedshe’dhadenough.
Shetookaphotoofthescene:threeinchesofwatersothickanddark,thebottomofthetubcouldn’tbeseen–asharpcontrasttothewhiteplastictubwallsdecoratedwithduckandturtlestickersforheryoungchildren.
“Itwasalmostblack,anditsmelledgross,”Paulremembers.
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PotlotekresidentsgratefulfornewtapwatersystemPotlotekresidentsfrustratedoverreturnofdiscolouredwaterThatwasin2016,afterdecadesofperiodicwaterissuesintheMi’kmawcommunityofPotlotek,located10kmfromthevillageofSt.Peter’s.Paulsaidthewaterwouldbecomediscolouredandsmellyatleastonceayearasfarbackasshecanrecall,andwaterboilorderswerecommon.
Onthatautumnmorningoverfiveyearsago,thewaterflowingfromhertapwastheworstshe’deverseenit.Shesharedherphotoonsocialmediaanditimmediatelyattractedattention.HealthCanadaofficialsmetwithcommunitymembers,assuringthemthewaterwassafetodrinkandthatasolutiontotheirwaterwoeswasontheway.
Itwasn’tuntiltheendof2019thatanew$6.16millionwatertreatmentsystemwasupandrunningtoreplacetheoutdatedsystemPotlotek’sclimbingpopulationhadoutgrownyearsearlier.
Inthemeantime,thegovernmenthadchangeditsstanceonthecommunity’swatersupply,issuingawateradvisorytoavoidconsuming,bathingin,orlaunderingclotheswithtapwaterduetoelevatedlevelsofironandmanganeseinthefallof2016and2017andaboilwateradvisoryin2019.
“Itreallytookatollonthecommunity,”CrystalNicholas,CEOofPotlotek,toldtheCapeBretonPostin2020.
Thecommunityhasnotbeenissuedawateradvisorysincetheswitchtothenewwatertreatmentfacilityandwatertower.
“Ihaven’tnoticedanydiscolourationandit’sahundredtimesbetterthanbefore,butIdon’tdrinkitonthedaily.Itsmellslikeapoolandeventhekids,whenwedon’thavewaterinthewatercoolerarelike,‘Gross,Idon’tlikethetapwater,’”Paulsaid,addingshecannowusethewaterforbathingandlaundry,butshestillboilsitbeforecookingwithit.
PotlotekChiefWilbertMarshall,whonowservesasboardchairfortheAtlanticFirstNationsWaterAuthority,thenewMi’kmaq-ledorganizationtooverseewaterandwastewateroperationsinparticipatingMi’kmawcommunities,acknowledgedwhenthenewsystemwaslaunchedthatitwouldtaketimeforthecommunitytotrustthewater.
Paulsaidherkids“rememberthewaterbeinggross.”
Sheplanstoapplyforcompensationaspartofan$8-billionsettlementinanationalclass-actionlawsuitagainstthefederalgovernmentrelatedtolong-termboilwaterordersinFirstNationscommunities.
“Idefinitelywill,”shesaid,addingshewasnotawaretheapplicationprocesswasopenpriortospeakingwiththePost.
AnyFirstNationcommunityorindividuallivinginacommunitythatwasunderalong-termwateradvisoryforatleastayearbetween1995and2021iseligibleforcompensation.Potlotekexperiencedalong-termadvisoryfromFeb.13,2015,toMay27,2016,makingitoneoftwoeligiblecommunitiesinNovaScotia.
“That’stheonlytimewehadaconsecutive365days,butiftheytookalltheboilorderseverysingleyear,thatwouldadduptoalotmore,”Paulsaid.
ThecompensationistheresultoflegalactiontakenbythreeFirstNationscommunities–twoinOntarioandoneinManitoba–overunsafedrinkingwaterandcouldaffectmorethan250communitiesand140,000individualsacrossthecountryaccordingtoHarryLaForme,co-councilfortheplaintiffs.
“Rightoffthebat,everyFirstNationthatsignsupfortheclass-actionwouldget$500,000automaticallyandtheycandowhatevertheywantwiththatmoney,there’snostringsattached,”LaFormesaid.
Over$2billionofthesettlementwassetasideforcompensation,andtheother$6billioniscommittedtoupgradingandmaintainingwaterinfrastructureinFirstNationscommunities.
Basedonthoseamounts,LaFormesaidindividualscanexpecttoreceiveapproximately$2,000foreachyearunderawateradvisoryandcanreceivemorebasedonotherfactorssuchasremotenessofthecommunityandhealthproblemscausedbyunsafewater.
Individualscanreceivecompensationregardlessofwhethertheircommunityoptsin,andcommunitiesreceiveanadditionalamountequivalenttohalfofthecompensationreceivedbytheirmembers.
LaFormesaidthesettlementhaschangedthepowerdynamic,givingFirstNationsalegalavenuetoresolveongoingwaterissues.
“Thegovernment’sviewwas,‘We’lldothebestwecanandifwedon’tgettoyou,orwedon’tdoitaswellaswecouldhave,well,toobad,sosad,’butnow,becausetheordersofthecourtareinplace,it’snolongerapoliticalissue,it’salegalissueandenforceableincourt,”LaFormesaid.
ThesettlementgivesFirstNationsauthorityoverhowdisputeswiththegovernmentoverwaterissuesareresolved.
“ThereisaprocessfornegotiationsthatincludesmediationandbindingarbitrationthathastoincludetheFirstNationlanguage,ifthatiswhatthecommunitywants,thelegaltraditionsandprotocols,andtheyhavetotakeplaceinthecommunitysothatitcanattendandbeapartofit,andIdon’tknowthatit’severbeendonebefore,”saidLaForme,aformerOntarioCourtjudgeandthefirstIndigenousappellatejudgeinCanada.
“Thatisjointdecisionmaking.Thatisamicrocosmofwhattruereconciliationshouldlooklike,”hesaid.
Therearecurrently29FirstNationcommunitiesinCanadathatarestillunderalong-termwateradvisory.
EligiblecommunitieshaveuntilDec.2ofthisyeartosubmitabandcouncilresolutionforinclusioninthesettlement,andindividualscanfileaclaimuptoMarch7,2023,onlineathttps://firstnationsdrinkingwater.ca/.
Forhelpfilingtheclaim,individualscancontacttheadministratorat1-833-252-4220andforadviceandsupportwithclaimsforspecifiedinjuriescompensationorlegalquestions,classcouncilcanbereachedat1-833-265-7589orbyemailat[emailprotected]
ThePotlotekbandofficedidn’treplytonumerousrequestsforcomment.
-ArdelleReynoldsisanIndigenousaffairsreporterwiththeCapeBretonPost.FollowheronTwitter@CBPost_Ardelle.
