(Originally posted on Rabble.ca)

By Daniel Cayley-Daoust

Water and wastewater services have long been considered an essential public service in Canada. With few exceptions, these services have remained under the explicit management and ownership of municipal governments. The federal government, however, wants to allow the private sector to operate new water and wastewater facilities in the form of private-public partnerships (P3s). The priorities set out for the 2012 and 2013 application process of Public-Private Partnerships Canada (PPP Canada) and a water and wastewater sector study published on the crown corporation's website confirms the interest of the federal government in the P3 model for the water services industry.

STATEMENT/PRESS COMMUNIQUE

The 9th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) pushed through a Bali Package in the final hours, extending the Conference to December 7, but at the cost of the developing countries, the poor and the hungry.

(Le français suit)
Snowpeople are now distancing themselves from controversial tar sands funding of the Museum of Civilisation from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). This morning a Snowperson protested the funding arrangement with a sign saying ‘CAPP pollutes snow’.

(Le français suit)
Polaris Institute's Tony Clarke and Richard Girard along with thousands of activists from hundreds of social movements are in Bali this week to challenge the World Trade Organization during its 9th Ministerial. Here is a press release from the Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power where Polaris is playing a leading role.

Thursday, October 10, 2013
As organizations in Canada and Quebec, we are appalled that Calgary-based Infinito Gold has decided to sue the Government of Costa Rica for $1-billion under the Canada-Costa Rica bilateral investment treaty. This is just the latest - and arguably most disturbing - attempt by Infinito management to intimidate the people, court system and government of Costa Rica over their rightful decision not to approve the controversial Crucitas gold mine near the San Juan River system.