WINNIPEG – Activists working to pressure the federal government to help fund a road to Shoal Lake 40 First Nation will sell Winnipeg tap water for $1 a glass in Old Market Square Friday.
Winnipeg’s tap water comes from Shoal Lake. Shoal Lake 40 became an island with no bridge to the mainland when Winnipeg’s aquaduct was built in 1915.
READ MORE: The price of Winnipeg’s water: A First Nation’s misery
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A multi-faith group led by the West Broadway Outreach Centre has spearheaded a lobbying movement called 10 Days for Shoal Lake. The goal of the campaign is to pressure the federal government into helping fund the building of what’s been dubbed “Freedom Road.” The City of Winnipeg and Province of Manitoba have already committed to help pay for the project.
READ MORE: Feds not committing to help build road for Shoal Lake 40 First Nation
They will sell Shoal Lake water – taken from Winnipeg taps – at the Old Market Square from 4 p.m. to about 8 p.m. Friday. The money will go to a fundraising campaign that is also asking people to make personal donations to the road-building effort.
READ MORE: Campaign to help isolated Shoal Lake 40 First Nation intensifies
Shoal Lake 40 is only accessible by boat in summer. Its aging ferry failed a federal inspection in May, throwing the community into a state of emergency while repairs were made.
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