Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief raises alarm over Ontario’s Permits to Take Water Program changes
ANISHINABEK NATION HEAD OFFICE (February 5, 2025) — Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige is raising serious concerns about recent changes to Ontario’s Permits to Take Water Program procedures and process, warning that the province is moving in a direction that undermines First Nation rights, environmental protection, and public accountability.
“These unilateral decisions directly affect our lands, waters, and future generations,” states Grand Council Chief Debassige. “Water is sacred. It is not a commodity to be transferred between corporations without scrutiny, consent, or accountability.”
Recent media reports have confirmed that the Government of Ontario is allowing companies to assume or renew water‑taking permits without new applications, environmental review, or meaningful consultation with First Nations. These changes apply to large-scale water takings from lakes, rivers, and groundwater sources used for industrial, commercial, and extractive activities.
On July 10, 2025, the Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Todd McCarthy committed in writing to First Nation leadership that access to safe drinking water is a fundamental human right and that Ontario would continue working with First Nations toward long-term, sustainable water solutions.
“While that commitment was welcomed, recent regulatory actions contradict those assurances. Claiming that ‘safe drinking water is a fundamental human right for all’ and that Ontario ‘will continue to work with First Nations and the federal government on long-term, sustainable solutions to achieve this important goal’, while simultaneously unilaterally weakening the very rules that protect water at its source, does not help achieve this goal,” states Grand Council Chief Debassige. “Economic advancement must never compromise or override First Nation inherent rights, environmental stewardship, or the Crown’s duty to consult.”
First Nation leadership is particularly concerned that removing requirements for new permit applications will prevent proper assessment of cumulative impacts, especially as climate change, population growth, and industrial pressures place increasing stress on Ontario’s water systems.
“These changes strip away transparency and undermine the commitment made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford to ensure a collaborative and respectful relationship with First Nations in Ontario,” adds Grand Council Chief Debassige. “They limit our ability to raise concerns, share First Nation knowledge, and protect waters that sustain our communities. That is not partnership, and it is not reconciliation; in fact, it is the opposite.”
The Anishinabek Nation Grand Council is calling on the Government of Ontario to:
- Immediately pause implementation of the new Permit to Take Water Program procedures and process;
- Restore mandatory consultation and public review for all permit transfers, renewals, or reactivations;
- Ensure First Nations are engaged early and meaningfully in all water‑related decision‑making; and
- Work collaboratively with the respective local First Nations to strengthen source‑water protection and address cumulative impacts.
“Protecting water is about responsibility to the land, each other, and generations yet to come,” states Grand Council Chief Debassige. “The Government of Ontario must align its actions with its words.”