I met with members of the Mikisew Cree First Nation a couple of weeks ago, and they are deeply concerned about the quality of water in their communities and the effects of the tailing pond runoff. They've requested, for almost two decades now, a health study. They have abnormal rates of bile cancer—rare forms of cancer that shouldn't be occurring in these numbers. I'm curious about how your department is working to ensure that first nations and other indigenous communities have access to clean drinking water and whether there's an update on the funding for the health study they're asking for.
On June 11th, 2024. See this statement in context.