Akwesasne a model for Canada: Prentice
Kawehnoke Water Treatment Plant
Reprinted with the kind permission of the
Cornwall Standard-Freeholder
August 5, 2006
Akwesasne is a model for other native reserves across the country in terms of its facilities and social systems, the Minister of Indian Affairs said Friday.
Jim Prentice toured the new state-of-theart water treatment plant on Cornwall Island, where he said the government and other reserves can learn from Akwesasne’s example.
“Akwesasne really is a forward thinking community,” Prentice said. The water treatment plant is one of only a few in the country on a native reserve and cost $13.1 million, of which $2 million was contributed by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne through its own Nation Building funding. Nearly 200 native communities do not have proper drinking water systems and the majority of those are living with water systems that aren’t up to Canada standards, Prentice said.
Prentice said he has been working on increasing both drinking water facilities for aboriginal communities as well as building educational systems, both of which Akwesasne has and he prided residents on. Prentice’s visit was his first to a native reserve in Ontario. The water treatment plant has the capacity to service more than 3,000 local residents. It is expected that with future plant upgrades, the facility will be capable of servicing more than 6,900 community members.
Akwesasne has a water treatment facility in the district of St.Regis, which services that community and Snye, which is located on the Quebec border. Another reserve in Ontario, Tyendinaga, also has a water treatment facility, however Derek Kamanga, an engineer with the Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation said that plant is barely comparable to this one.
“This one has a higher purification and UV—Tyendinaga dose not have UV capabilities,” Kamanga said. UV or ultraviolet technology is a form of disinfectant which newer-fitted plants use to ensure drinking water is of the highest quality. The facility at Akwesasne has class one, two and three treatment, Kamanga explained. Class one is water that comes from a well and is just treated with chlorine, whereas classes two and three are respectively more advanced with class three being the highest standard to remove any pathogens.
Prentice also met with members of the Mohawk Council, as well as with Grand Chief Timothy Dooley Thompson, to discuss issues the community is facing including housing shortages and funding for social programs.
Thompson said although they did not come to a conclusion, he was invited to Ottawa to speak jointly with Prentice, Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety and Justice Minister Vic Toews to discuss border security and self-governance.
