The federal government has added 250 locations to the list of water systems in First Nations that are eligible for funding for repair or replacement.
Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott made the announcement Tuesday as she provided an update on the government's commitment to end long-term drinking water advisories.
More than 1,000 water systems will now qualify for funding, but Philpott said the government remains "on track" to ending all the long-term advisories on public water systems on First Nations by March 2021.
She told reporters "We decided to expand the scope and make sure that anything that was reasonably considered a public system on reserve, that we should obviously be prepared to support."
In northwestern Ontario, the current list of communities with water advisories includes at least 21 communities. In some instances, the advisories have been in place for over two decades, with Neskantaga (1995) being the oldest.
That community is scheduled to have the advisory lifted by October of this year.
Fixes in other First Nations in the northwest will happen between February of this year and 2021.
According to information provided by the government, water advisories have been rescinded in six northwestern Ontario First Nations since 2016.
Philpott said that, across the country, she expects at least 20 additional long-term advisories will be lifted by the end of this year.
NW Ontario First Nations Affected by Current Drinking Water Advisories
- Bearskin Lake
- Anishinabe of Wauzhushk Onigum
- Cat Lake
- Deer Lake
- Eabametoong
- Grassy Narrows
- Gull Bay
- Lac Seul (Kejick Bay)
- Marten Falls
- Muskrat Dam
- Neskantaga
- Nibinamik
- North Spirit Lake
- Northwest Angle
- Pikangikum
- Sachigo Lake
- Sandy Lake
- Shoal Lake # 40
- Slate Falls
- Webequie
- Weenusk
