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This article was published 14/2/2015 (2684 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Kids mull water woes
Editor's note: It's always exciting to get new voices on the letters page -- part of the reason we introduced comments from the Free Press website as well as Twitter reactions to this page last year.
But it's particularly rewarding to see young people raising their voices on issues and participating in important discussions such as those surrounding the boil-water situation at Shoal Lake 40 First Nation.
Students in Ecole Howden teacher Renée Péloquin's Grade 2/3 class wondered how the city's two-day boil-water advisory might affect them at school and at home, and what kind of services might be impacted by the advisory.
"We started to talk about how lucky we are to have clean water, and to research places that don't have clean water," Péloquin explained. Students were surprised and outraged to learn people so close to the city had been boiling their water for so long.
The kids took action. "They had big plans to change the world," Péloquin said. "I told them we can have an impact on the situation, but it has to be in an appropriate matter. We could write letters to people who have influence, and that would be our way of making a change -- to show there are people who care about this issue."
In addition the five students who wrote to the Free Press, the class picked up their pencils and dashed off letters to Mayor Brian Bowman, Shoal Lake Chief Erwin Redsky, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Louis Riel School Division superintendent Duane Brothers.
Here are the letters we received. We encourage teachers to engage students of all ages to continue making their voices heard.
I heard about the boil-water alert, and I'm shocked to hear that Shoal Lake has been boiling their water for 17 years. I think that it's unfair that Winnipeg drinks from their lake and they cannot. I want to support Shoal Lake. They spend $250,000 a year on bottled water. Why isn't the water the same in Shoal Lake and Winnipeg?
Adam E.
Grade 3
I feel scared about Shoal Lake having to boil their water for 17 years. I feel sad about Shoal Lake. Please continue to write about the issue in your newspaper.
Braeden M.
Grade 3
I just want to take one moment to talk about Shoal Lake's problem with water. They have been boiling their water for 17 years!
I'm outraged to hear that Winnipeg is using their clean water. I'm very sad and frustrated.
Julie B.
Grade 3
Shoal Lake has boiled their water for 17 years. We are really lucky. The only time we boiled water was for two days.
Olivia C.
Grade 2
I feel bad for Shoal Lake because we have been drinking their water. I feel mad that they don't have access to the water.
Please publish this letter in your newspaper so that people know about the issue.
Kyle H.
Grade 2
