Living Without Running Water

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Safe water a human right: Canadians

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 11/15/2010 3:18 AM | Comments: 0

ALMOST all Canadians believe clean water should be guaranteed as a human right, according to a poll to be released in Winnipeg this month by the Trudeau Foundation and the University of Manitoba.

Of those surveyed, 96 per cent said water should be a guaranteed right, while only two per cent said it should not -- the strongest response to any of the six emerging rights the pollsters proposed.

"The public is concerned about this question of water and environmental problems much more than we think," said Trudeau Foundation president Pierre-Gerlier Forest. "I find it quite encouraging."

The support for clean water as a human right was solid across income groups, education levels and regions of the country. Adults under the age of 45 were a bit more supportive, as were women.

The findings suggest the Harper government may be out of touch with Canadian citizens on water rights. In July, Canada abstained when the United Nations passed a resolution stating "the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights."

Full results of the national survey will be released at the Montreal-based charity's annual policy conference, to be held Nov. 18-20 at the Fort Garry Hotel.

Question:

Please tell me whether you think each of the

following should, or should not, be guaranteed

as a human right for all Canadians:

�óó Clean water 96% yes / 2% no

�óó Health care 96% yes / 3% no

�óó Equality -- that is, to not be

discriminated against based

on sex, race, age or disability. 94% yes / 2% no

�óó Practice one's religion of choice 92% yes / 4% no

�óó The right to a basic income

for food and shelter 87% yes / 10 % no

�óó Own property 82% yes / 14% no

The Environics survey was conducted Sept. 29 to Oct. 21

and the results are considered accurate within two

percentage points, 95 per cent of the time.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 15, 2010 H3

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.