Thank you, Chair and committee members, for the invitation to speak with you today.

I'm Kelly Carter, the chief executive officer of the Alberta Wildlife Federation.

Today, I'm a visitor speaking to you in Ottawa from the unceded Anishinabe Algonquin territory. I reside and live in Edmonton, which is in Treaty 6 territory. The Alberta Wildlife Federation honours all first nations, Inuit and Métis people and their valuable contributions to this land.

The Alberta Wildlife Federation is an organization that represents over 16,000 members from diverse backgrounds who are brought together by their love of hunting, fishing and exploring the outdoors. Water is an integral part of our communities. We love to live, work and play in it.

Firstly and importantly, I want to reinforce our support for the human right of access to safe, clean drinking water and the sanitization of waste water. As a human right, it applies to all people, with no exceptions. We appreciate the effort being made to improve drinking water quality, specifically on first nation lands in Canada. This is long overdue.

After reading Bill C-61, the Alberta Wildlife Federation would like to share some thoughts and perspectives with the committee. We support the intent of Bill C-61 to address and improve drinking water for those living on and visiting first nation lands. Access to a reliable stream of safe, clean drinking water is essential.

The term “source water” appeared multiple times in the bill, but without a definition. We have some concerns about how this could be used in the implementation of the act and the resulting impact it could have on our recreational outdoor communities. This comes up in paragraph 5(1)(b), which reads, “the effective management and monitoring of all stages of water services delivery, from the protection of source water”.

What does this protection mean? There could be a wide interpretation of this, and vast consequences for those who enjoy angling in our rivers and lakes, along with all Canadians who want to explore our waterways on paddleboards, kayaks and watercraft.

Upon review of the bill, we were left unsure what a source water “protection zone” is, along with what impact it would have if one was declared. Clause 29 states that first nations law must “protect the environment as much as or more than” current regulations listed in the bill. This needs to be in collaboration with all levels of government when it impacts any water that is not located on first nation lands. The creation of a first nations water commission is good, but again, we note that it includes a section on source water protection plans. The Government of Canada, along with provincial governments, has a role to play in this responsibility when it comes to source water.

The more we read the act, the more it became evident that source water protection is a recurring theme that is broad and without definition. Why are we concerned about this? Because it commonly shuts down access for hunting and fishing and reduces opportunities.

I want to emphasize that water is for all Canadians to enjoy, access, drink and explore. Bill C-61 could present challenges if access were restricted to water bodies and if fishing opportunities were eliminated, restricted or further controlled. We want to know what guardrails are in place to protect these interests.

We are worried and concerned that the use of source water protection clauses in this act go beyond the intent of what is needed to provide safe drinking water. Any discussion involving that source water should include everyone, as we all have a stake in water management.

I want to reinforce that fishing, hunting and trapping communities contribute $13.2 billion in Canada's GDP, $18.9 billion in direct spending and 107,000 Canadian jobs with an estimated labour of $6.4 billion. That's based on a Conference Board of Canada report from 2019. In Canada, we have 2.9 million licensed anglers, and recreational fishing brings $10.3 billion to our economy. Nine in 10 Canadians support hunting, fishing and trapping, according to Nanos Research.

Water is also critical to our tourism industry, which requires access to water for recreational purposes as well. Think of all the rafting tours, fishing guides and hikers who want to experience this vast natural resource.

I paint this picture because access to outdoor areas to participate in these activities is essential. It comes back to the impact of protecting source waters and what that means for implementation. How this bill will be interpreted and the economic risks that could result concern us. We need federal guardrails in place to protect these interests. Anything to do with source water or the protection of source water must be done in a collaborative manner that respects provincial authority and the interests of all Canadians.

In summary, we respect the human right to safe, clean drinking water and the sanitization of waste water. We are concerned by the use of the term “source water” throughout the bill and its inclusion in a first nations water commission regarding how it could impact recreational communities, and we are concerned by the lack of guardrails within the bill.

Thank you for your time today and for allowing me to address the committee on this important matter. I hope all first nations communities are able to access healthy, safe and clean drinking water as soon as possible.