Alberta water not for sale, says McQueen

Alberta water not for sale, says McQueen 

Sarah O'Donnell, Edmonton Journal, Wednesday, November 14, 2012 

Alberta's water will not be for sale outside of its borders, the province's environment minister told an audience of political leaders from across rural Alberta on Tuesday.

Environment and Sustainable Resource Minister Diana McQueen made the comments as she reminded hundreds of locally elected leaders gathered in Edmonton for the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties convention about the province's plans to consult with Albertans in the new year on water-related issues.

"When we talk about water in this province, Premier (Alison) Redford has been extremely clear, as I have as minister, we are not going to be selling water to other jurisdictions like the United States," McQueen said.

McQueen said she made the comment because in the past there has been some confusion about the province's intentions. The government announced its plans for Alberta-wide consultations on the future of water management in Alberta last month.

Questions about the way Alberta's water is managed have bubbled up frequently in recent years, particularly in the southern part of the province where, in 2006, the government stopped issuing new licences for the South Saskatchewan River Basin.

Now, people who need water on that basin must buy water rights from those who already hold licences.

Read more here  

"We are actively dealing with the government of Alberta to think about a water exchange" 

- Peter Brabeck, Chairman, Nestle   

Edmonton Journal, May 11 2011

Our Water is not for Sale.com