Industrial Pollution
"We need to update and upgrade our existing technology so that it is no more about companies making
money but focused on humans coexisting without destroying our earth." - Paul Demke, ON
We, the youth of Canada, feel that water systems and water safety is greatly threatened by various
forms of industrial pollution, which is a large risk to the security of Canada's waterways now and into
the future. In our survey, youth felt that the greatest impact to water-related issues will come from
increased regulation and enforcement of industrial rules and policies. Pollution is one of the most
significant threats to water ecosystems in Canada. If we want to move forward as a nation, and
protect our environment, we need to take greater consideration of the role of industrial pollution in
particular, alongside our conservation goals. Industrial processes exert a major pressure on water
resources in Canada. Some of the biggest contributions to this come from oil production, where
crude bitumen filtering pollutes 0.4 barrels of water per barrel of bitumen production. The
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contaminated water released into tailing ponds is a toxic legacy, with some experts stating it could
take 15 to 70 years for land reclamation; while others claim it could take closer to 1000.
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Mining is another significant water polluter, due to the toxic chemicals used in mining processes.
This can be seen in the case of a gold mine in Yellowknife that used arsenic during the 1940s,
polluting the surrounding area with enough arsenic to kill the entire world several times over. This
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led to the Dene Indigenous people being unable to hunt or harvest in their lands, and now the
arsenic is leaking into water pipes, endangering the drinking water. Canadians need to focus on the
future, and the long term effects of all of these industries, instead of only seeing the short term
monetary gain that comes from exploiting the environment. We, as Canadians, need to protect the
future generations and ensure that people continue to thrive in this country - the way we do now -
for many years to come.
Water Accessibility
"I feel that when one has the privilege of being in the majority, they have a responsibility to safeguard the
social equity of the minority." -Sahaj Kinshuk, AB
"Clean, drinkable water must be provided to all Canadians" - Julia Chung, AB
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http://www.capp.ca/publications-and-statistics/publications/233913
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Bob Weber, The Canadian Press. "Oilsands showdown coming over tailings cleanup: report.". Last modified, March 31, 2017,
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/oilsands-alberta-regulatory-cleanup-report-tailings-1.4048104
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http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/Global/canada/report/2010/4/Watershed_FS_footnote_rev_5.pdf
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https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/xd5gw7/yellowknife-is-sitting-on-enough-arsenic-to-kill-every-human-on-earth
