The Rural Voice, 2006-03, Page 49i
News in Agriculture
Local action works best, says MPP John Wilkinson
Acting locally is the best way to
make a dfference. That was the
lesson Perth -Middlesex MPP John
Wilkinson learned.
Wilkinson talked about his
involvement in the Clean Water Act
at the Maitland Valley Conservation
Authority meeting February 8.
Not representing a completely
urban centre, Wilkinson said he
learned along with other MPPs of
rural areas to make a difference at
home first. He supports working with
local conservation authorities to
make that difference.
"There are four major water
systems in the area that I cover," he
said. "1 think [the province] has to
recognize the conservation authority
as a partner."
Wilkinson said it is as equally
important for everyone to keep in
mind their responsibility to protect
water as it is to remember everyone's
right to have water.
"We need to be able to trust that
the water that comes out of our taps
is clean."
Walkerton, he said, was an import-
ant lesson but it wasn't an isolated
case. He mentioned Kitchener and
his home town of Stratford as having
had problems with their water source
in the past as well.
Wilkinson's work with the
Ministry of Environment led to a
contribution to the Clean Water Act
that was proposed on December 5.
The Clean Water Act, was created
to ensure that communities can
identify potential risks to their supply
of drinking water, and take action to
reduce or eliminate these risks.
The act requires the involvement of
municipalities, conservation
authorities, landowners, farmers,
industry, community groups and the
members of the public.
The proposed act directs
municipalities to prepare plans to'
protect their drinking water supply.
"Each municipality has to take
action to develop their own plan,"
Wilkinson said. "The Act requires
the local communities to act before
threats to the water arise."
He said each municipality would
have the opportunity to look over the
act and make comments on it before
it is passed.
The provincial government gave
$76.5 million in grants and funds to
municipalities to protect water
supplies last year, he said.
According to the MPP more than
half of the water pipes in Ontario are
more than 50 years old and many are
over 100 years.
When it comes to protecting
natural water sources and ensuring
safe drinking water for Ontarians,
Wilkinson took the lessons he has
learned as an admitted backbencher
in Queen's Park to heart.
"The conservation water authority
drives the change to the local level,"
he said. "And local solutions are
what is needed." 0
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'I;N 2006
MARCH 2006 45