50 people turn out to meeting on Shoal Lake 40 First Nation water woes
Students for Freedom Road hoping to raise awareness, money for all-season road out of community
More than 50 people turned out on Thursday for a panel discussion on Shoal Lake 40 First Nation's need for an all-season road out of their community.
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For the past 17 years, the reserve has been under a boil water advisory. They do not have an all-season road, which would facilitate the necessary equipment to build a water treatment plant in the community.
Winnipeg's drinking water comes from Shoal Lake.
Thursday night, Students for Freedom Road brought in city Coun. Cindy Gilroy, Shoal Lake 40 member Daryl Redsky and Cuyler Cotton, a policy analyst for the community.
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"I would hope that when people go home and turn on their taps, [they] recognize where that water is coming from, and the pain and suffering that has been caused to the people of Shoal Lake 40 so that we can have clean water," said Jon Benson, one of the organizers.
The group is hoping to raise awareness and money to help build the all-weather access road for the community.