Dear ____________,

ONTARIO HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM!
We’re all aware of the Walkerton tragedy, which has pointed up the need to protect our drinking water. One of the most important recommendations made in the Walkerton Report is to protect our water at its source, be it lake, river, or groundwater. An advisory committee made up of various experts has provided the government with a framework to implement source water protection. Public support is the only way to insure that this framework is put into action.

You now have an opportunity to show your support for drinking water protection by sending your comments to the Government of Ontario by June 21. Here are some points you might make, in your own words:

• I am concerned about clean water and support the source protection framework
• I believe that the preventive measures provided in the framework are more cost effective than remediation
• I support strong community involvement in the development, implementation and monitoring of source water protection plans.
• I believe source protection is the most important step in keeping our drinking water safe.
• I want to know who is responsible for protecting water sources.
• One of my highest priorities for my tax dollars is protecting the current and future sources of my drinking water.
• This also makes good economic sense. Cuts to the budget of the Ministry of Environment of $40 million ended up costing taxpayers more than $150 million as a result of the Walkerton tragedy. No dollar value can be placed on the lives lost and the compromised health of the thousands of affected citizens.
• Municipalities and conservation authorities need to be given the tools and the resources to protect water sources within their boundaries.

Include any or all of the above points, as you wish. You don’t need to use technical language or even a computer. You can simply put pen to paper and tell the government from your heart that you want lakes, rivers and groundwater to be kept safe and clean. If you wish to read the full report, titled “Protecting Ontario’s Drinking Water: Toward a Watershed Based Source Protection Planning Framework”, it is available on the Ministry of Environment’s web site at http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/water/spp.htm. It is also available on the EBR Registry.

Send or fax your letter to:
Dawn Landry, Policy Advisor
Strategic Policy Branch
135 St. Clair Ave. West, 11th floor
Toronto, ON M4V 1P5
Fax: 416-314-2976
At the top of your letter, refer to this number: EBR Registry # XA03E0011

Send or fax copies of your letter to the Minister of Environment, your local MPP, the Premier of Ontario, the Environment Commissioner of Ontario, your local conservation authority (or MNR office if there is no CA) and the mayor of your municipality. The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) would also like to track public opinion on this issue and would appreciate receiving a copy of your letter at:
130 Spadina Ave. Ste. 301
Toronto, ON M5V 2L4
Fax: 416-960-9392

We hope that the next time you hear from us our letter can start, DRINK? NO PROBLEM!