Bonaparte First Nation: Clean Water, Stronger Community

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First Nations are improving the infrastructure needed for long-term and reliable access to clean drinking water with support from Indigenous Services Canada.

Byron Porter, Water Manager
Bonaparte First Nation

Bryon Porter:
Today to come and have a meal with us and have a little look at the new water treatment facilities. It's been a long road from the beginning to now.

Today, we're holding a celebration for the commissioning of two of our water treatment facilities for our community. And this means so much to me over the past two years. There's been so much time and effort put into this project and to see the payoff for the community members has been second to none for me.

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Kúkpi7 Frank Antoine
Bonaparte First Nation

Upper Hat Creek No.1
Lower Hat Creek No.2
Bonaparte No.3

Kúkpi7 Frank Antoine:
Wow. We've been waiting for, I would say, two to three generations even farther back. Ever since we moved these houses up into these different lots and areas, IR1, IR2, and IR3. IR3 is our main reserve down below there on the main road, but IR1 and 2 have been waiting for this from the day they were building these homes in our community.

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Everyone should have access to safe and clean water.

Kúkpi7 Frank Antoine:
We were put on these pieces of land with very low, fertile ground to grow anything, but along with having to even add water to that. So, we were given a very unbalanced way of looking at things.

Okay, everybody!

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First Nations are working in partnership with the Government of Canada to develop solutions that meet the needs of their communities.

Kúkpi7 Frank Antoine:
We have over 80% of our people live off community. Now they have an opportunity to come home because these water treatment plants give us the opportunity to build more infrastructure in our areas, especially housing.

Bryon Porter:
Hats off to whoever built this plant because it's, out of, kind of from what I've seen, this has been one of the more stable facilities.

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Whether it's the relationship between governments or relationships at the personal level, change happens when we listen and are open to collaboration.

Bryon Porter:
I think this, this plant for the community, means a better way of life, a safer way of life, a more confident way of life, by turning on your tap and being able to use the water for cooking, for showering, for bathing and brushing your teeth.

Water is an essential service, and if you don't have clean drinking water, that hinders your way of life in so many different ways that can't even be explained.

Kúkpi7 Frank Antoine:
I would like to give thanks to all the former leaders and council that helped push this until we got to what we want. And now, as leaders moving up into this, into our next generation, where we're having that opportunity to sit at the table and start working collaboratively.

There's a word in our language called Knucwentw'ecw. It's to help each other understand physical and mental, our needs and what we need for each other.

It's 4 o'clock!

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Stronger communities are built when we have mutual understanding, respect, and partnership.

Learn more about the progress First Nations communities and the Government of Canada have made to lift long-term drinking water advisories.

Kúkpi7 Frank Antoine:
Is that it?

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