For Immediate Release

Nanaimo and RDN urged to become Blue Communities

A delegation consisting of representatives from Vancouver Island Water Watch, the Mid Island chapter of the Council of Canadians, the Island Glass Artisans and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 401 made presentations to both the Nanaimo City Council and the Nanaimo Regional District urging the city and the RDN to pass resolutions that would designate these communities as Blue Communities.

The Blue Community designation was developed by the Council of Canadians and the Canadian Union of Public Employees and in BC the cities of Burnaby, North Vancouver and Victoria have all passed resolutions which have certified them as such. A “blue community” is one that adopts a water commons framework by taking three actions; 1.Recognizing water as a human right. 2. Promoting publicly financed, owned and operated water and waste-water services. 3. Banning the sale of bottled water in public facilities and at municipal events. These three resolutions are key to this generation leaving the next generation a legacy of land, water, air, and infrastructure that is better than what it received.

The presentations were favorably received by both the City Council and the RDN Board and we are awaiting final word on agreement with the three resolutions that were presented at each. The City of Nanaimo passed a resolution in 2006 promoting publicly financed, owned and operated water and waste-water services.

Vancouver Island University has already successfully banned the sale of bottled water on all of it’s campuses including the franchises operating there.

To find out more about the Blue Communities campaign visit http://www.canadians.org/water/issues/Blue_Communities/index.html

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