Stewards of the environment gathered outside Guelph City Hall to join in the Global Climate Strike movement, calling for immediate action around the globe, and locally to deny Blue Triton a water bottling permit while phasing out all permits for water bottling in Ontario.
The strike action proceed to the University of Guelph where students joined in the march to their final destination at Blue Triton in Aberfoyle to deliver a moratorium and cease and desist letter.
Blue Triton is the new owner of Nestle Waters.
“With this action, on the Global Climate Strike Day, for those of us who are coming along for the walk we are heading down to a place where there has been an egregious affront to our commitments here as guests on this land and in terms of what our settler-colonial governments are allowing for on this land,” said Arlene Slocombe, executive director of Wellington Water Watchers.
Similar protests were held in multiple cities as Friday marked a day of action to uproot and dismantle the current systems in place.
“We support the call of the return of that land to the folks at Six Nations,” said Slocombe.
MPP Mike Schreiner joined the speeches outside city hall, stepping up to the mic to thank the supports for standing in solidarity to demand urgent action on the climate crisis.
“The only way we are going to get the government to take action is if people demand it,” said Schreiner. “It’s the kind of people power on display today that is going to put pressure on the government to deliver the urgent change that we need.”
Leaving from Guelph City Hall just after 9:00 a.m., the three-hour march to Blue Triton took the advocates down Gordon Street where they met members from Six Nations before holding a rally outside the water bottling plant.
Joined by elders and youth from Six Nations, the march ended outside the Blue Triton site with the reassertion of their demand to renew a cease and desist.
With no staff available to receive the documents, the Six Nations members left the documents on the table with a request for a reply.
Makasa, a member of the Six Nations, said this was the final warning and a clear objection from the Six Nations to the continued activities.
“We will continue to assert our right as those who have been on these territories for countless generations, we will continue to rise up for the rights of our people, the rights of the life within our lands, territories, and waters and the coming faces of our future generations,” said Makasa.
According to Makasa, the cease and desist letter given to Nestle two years ago was ignored.
After leaving the documents at the Blue Triton office the Six Nation members and environmentalists left the property.
