program

2C
Drinking Water Safety Plans
Graham Gagnon, Director, Centre for Water Resources
Studies
The state of drinking water and wastewater in First Nation
communities is a recognized challenge across Canada. In June 2013,
the Government of Canada passed Bill S-8: The Safe Drinking Water
for First Nations Act. This will enable new regulatory paradigm for
water regulation on First Nation lands. One such innovative regulatory
approach are Drinking Water Safety Plans (DWSPs). DWSPs are a
new and developing tool for risk management in drinking water.
DWSPs provide a platform for using a “know your system” approach
to risk identification, management and remedial action. In order for
their implementation to be successful they require a culture change
from both operations and management, which results in DWSPs
becoming a living document with constant feedback and revamping
of priority risks. In Canada, Alberta is the first Province to regulate the
development of DWSPs, but there is a global trend towards adopting
the concept into practice. This presentation will provide an overview
of DWSPs and their potential for application for water regulation in
First Nation Communities.
3A
Building and Renovating to Avoid Mold in First Nations
Housing and Practical Approaches to Sustainable
Housing
Ken Ruest and Jamie Shipley, Canada Mortgage and
Housing Corporation
This session is a two part presentation from the Canada Mortgage and
Housing Corporation. Mr. Ruest will provide an overview of managing
moisture and mold problems in houses, House-as-a-System
considerations in developing remediation strategies, and building
and design approaches to avoiding problems in new construction
and renovations. New case studies of mold remediation projects
conducted by First Nations across Canada will be featured.
Mr. Shipley will provide information on specific housing design
strategies and technologies to build and renovate houses so they only
use as much energy as they produce. This presentation will highlight
the approaches taken by 10 builders and one renovator to build net
zero energy healthy housing under CMHC’s EQuilibrium Sustainable
Housing Demonstration Initiative. Practical tips on the knowledge
gained and lessons learned will be shared. The design features of
the energy efficient housing units produced by the Tla-o-qui-aht First
Nations in B.C. through the Ty-Histanis EQuilibrium Communities
project will be discussed as well.
3B
First Nations Asset and Maintenance Management
Nicolette Keith, BA, CGA, Little Shuswap Lake Indian
Band, Catherine Simpson, MCIP, RPP, Urban Systems Ltd.
and Danny Higashitani, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern
Development Canada
Little Shuswap Lake Indian Band (LSLIB) is a leader in asset and
maintenance management, and has been working with Urban
Systems on the foundational stages of a long term program over the
last three years. An important part of this program is the sustainable
financing of community infrastructure. LSLIB has started setting aside
renewal funds and aligning fees (eg. leaseholder servicing) to take
important steps toward full cost recovery of water, sewer, road and
drainage infrastructure systems. LSLIB’s ultimate goal is to be selfsufficient
and independent of funding.
3C
Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater: Focus on
Hormone Disruptors
Lucie Lavoie, EcoSuperior Environmental Programs
Wastewater has always contained many chemical contaminants.
Some of these contaminants are of special concern because they
affect the hormone system of humans, fish and wildlife at very low
exposure levels. Hormones are the chemical messengers that tell cells
what to do, so changes in hormones can affect all aspects of growth
and development including reproduction and fertility, metabolic
processes such as obesity and diabetes, as well as brain and nervous
system function. This presentation explains where hormone disrupting
chemicals come from and how they end up in the food and water.
There will be discussion of the potential of hormone disruptors to
affect human health and the environment, with emphasis on their
impact on First Nations communities. It’s not all bad news- possible
actions individuals and communities can take to reduce exposure to
hormone disruptors are also presented.
■ Tuesday, February 4, 2014
4A
Housing as a Business (HaaB)
Robert (Bob) Tabobandung, Housing as a Business
Housing as a Business (HaaB) is a proven “business model” that
encourages private home ownership and profitable rental housing
regimes on a First Nation. Ideally, HaaB incorporates mortgage
finance spreads through the establishment of a community owned
& managed revolving loan fund (RLF). HaaB will also work with
traditional mortgages that are held by other financial institutions and
guaranteed by the government. The key principal of HaaB is to assist
First Nation members access mortgages that they can afford and to
have the private homes constructed by First Nation owned business.
The HaaB model encourages and provides additional housing
February, 3–5, 2014
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