What type of consultation was undertaken to address water issues on reserves?
A11. From May to July 2008, departmental officials, in collaboration with Health Canada, met with regional First Nation organizations, Assembly of First Nations officials, as well as provincial/territorial officials, in order to prepare for future engagement sessions on a legislative framework. Officials from Environment Canada and the Assembly of First Nations also attended many of these information sessions. First Nations expressed support for continued discussions on the development of legislation and regulations. From February 2009 to March 2009, a series of engagement sessions took place on the proposed approach to legislation with First Nation communities, regional First Nation organizations and provincial/territorial officials. These sessions offered a forum for participants to suggest solutions and recommendations on how to best address the regulatory gap that presently exists regarding drinking water and wastewater in First Nation communities. To facilitate discussion, a paper
