From the Executive Director's Desk
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Spring 2012
#1-912 Idylwyld Dr. N Saskatoon, SK S7L 0Z6 Canada Ph:306-934-0389 Fx:306-934-5289
info@safewater.org www.safewater.org
From the Executive Director’s Desk…
Wow, these have been very busy days for the Safe Drinking
Water Foundation! With funding coming in from TD Bank Group,
Donner Canadian Foundation, The Thomas Sill Foundation Inc.,
Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority and Outter Limits (thank
you so much to our funders!!!) we have really had to work fast
to get the kit materials ordered, and for hundreds of educational
kits to be put together. We have hired a temporary Assistant Kit
Coordinator to help out with the rush. At the same time, we are
seeing increased interest in our charity in terms of the number
of newsletter subscribers and website visitors. Our Facebook
group is also increasing in number and we held a contest to name our newsletter, thus the
new name, “From the Tap”. We have changed the frequency of our newsletter from being
an annual newsletter to a quarterly newsletter. We hope to keep the newsletter fresh and
interesting, and I hope that you will drop me a line if you have any feedback regarding the
newsletter. We are also fully gearing up for our event at the Saskatoon Environmental
Film Fest 2012 on April 21st and hope to see some of you there! As the season changes
from winter to spring (thankfully!!!) and the temperatures rise remember to drink enough
safe drinking water!
A Humungous Thank You to TD Bank Group!
TD Bank Group has donated $75,000 to the SDWF for sponsored educational kits to be
sent to schools which are on the waiting list for sponsored kits and are located in
communities across Canada where TD has branches. Thanks to the TD Bank Group’s
generous donation approximately 750 sponsored kits will be sent to schools, resulting in
educating over 30,000 students about drinking water quality issues and solutions.
We couldn’t do it without you, TD Bank Group!!!
The Donner Canadian Foundation has been Enormously Helpful Too!
The Donner Canadian Foundation has given the SDWF a donation of $20,000 to send
sponsored educational kits to rural and First Nations schools across Canada which are on
the waiting list for sponsored kits. This has been enormously helpful to these schools
which are often underfunded and are located in communities which usually experience
the most problems in terms of drinking water quality. This donation will result in
educating over 8,000 students about drinking water quality issues and solutions.
Thank you so much Donner Canadian Foundation!!!
New Newsletter Name
We asked the members of our Facebook group to suggest new names for our newsletter.
It was such a close race that we couldn’t decide, so we also held a vote on Facebook. We
would like to congratulate Monica as her newsletter name suggestion (From the Tap)
received the most votes! We will be mailing a prize package to Monica. Join our Facebook
group to keep up-to-date with all of the latest contests, discussions, and more!
Sponsored Kits for Saskatchewan Schools
Thank you to the following sponsors as well:
Outter Limits for donating $1,000 for sponsored kits to be sent to schools in and
around Saskatoon which are on the waiting list.
Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority for donating $980 for Operation Water
Pollution kits to be sent to seven First Nations schools located in the Saskatoon
area which were waiting for sponsored kits.
Sponsored Kits for Manitoba Rural and First Nations Schools
Thank you so much The Thomas Sill Foundation Inc. for donating $5,000 for sponsored
kits to be sent to rural and First Nations schools in Manitoba which are on the waiting list
for sponsored kits. This donation will result in educating over 2,000 students about
drinking water quality issues and solutions!
Safe Drinking Water Foundation University of Saskatchewan
Partnership with Saskatchewan Eco Graduate Student Study of Lake
Network for Film Festival Event Diefenbaker
The Safe Drinking Water Foundation is hosting Jania Chilima, a PhD student at the
an event as part of the Saskatoon University of Saskatchewan (U of S), is
Environmental Film Fest 2012 (a currently conducting a research study
Saskatchewan Eco Network event) on termed: “Exploring Water Resource
Saturday, April 21st, 2012 in Saskatoon, Management In Partnership With The
Saskatchewan. This event will consist of the Community of Water Users Of Lake
Diefenbaker.” This study is part of the
viewing of the film “Land of Oil and Water”,
Global Institute for Water Security at the
students from Bruno, Saskatchewan
U of S. Jania needs more participants for
presenting information about learning from focus groups regarding water
the SDWF’s educational kits in their classroom management in general. This is a
and then taking action to inform others and to community-based participatory research
alleviate drinking water quality issues, (CBPR) thus you need not be an expert in
followed by a panel discussion. A silent specific water resources management, just
auction will also occur at the same time in awareness of water issues is sufficient. If
order to try to recoup the costs of the SDWF’s you live in Saskatchewan and are
portion of the event. If you are in Saskatoon or interested in participating please send an
plan to be on April 21st please come out to the e-mail to info@safewater.org and we will
forward your information to Jania. Thanks!
Roxy from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m... it will be a great
time, and very informative!
Website Redesign
One of our big projects this summer, here at the Safe Drinking Water Foundation, will be
to redesign our website. It will be a BIG project as our website is massive! So, we could
use your help. Please send us any great ideas you have for our website. If we use your
idea we will send you a prize pack. Contact us at info@safewater.org or
306-934-0389 with your idea today!
Current Number of Drinking Water Advisories in First Nations Communities
According to Health Canada (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fniah-spnia/promotion/public-
publique/water-eau-eng.php), as of February 29th, 2012 there were 112 First Nations
communities across Canada under a Drinking Water Advisory. In our December 2010
newsletter we reported that as of October 31st, 2011 there were 124 First Nations
communities across Canada under a Drinking Water Advisory. Although this number has
decreased slightly, it is still much too high.
In total, in urban, rural and First Nations communities as of March 23rd, 2012 there were
1,055 Boil Water Advisories, 1 cyanobacteria bloom and 37 Do Not Consume Orders
across Canada.
Together we can change this sad, current reality! Help us to educate our communities’
future leaders today!
An Update on the Educational Kits
Due to the fact that our funding came in later than usual this year we were off to a late
start, but what a start we have had! So far this school year (since September 2011) we
have sent 73 Elementary Operation Water Drop kits, 37 High School Operation Water
Drop kits, 93 Operation Water Biology kits, and 323 Operation Water Pollution kits to
schools across Canada. This means that we have educated 35,160 Grade four to twelve
students about drinking water quality issues and solutions via hands-on, relevant
laboratory activities.
However, there is still great need for donors to provide funding for sponsored kits. As of
March 23rd, 2012 Canadian teachers were waiting for 1,094 sponsored Elementary
Operation Water Drop kits, 709 sponsored High School Operation Water Drop kits, 497
sponsored Operation Water Biology kits, and 78 sponsored Operation Water Pollution kits
to be sent to their schools. While we still have funds from TD Bank Group to use to send
sponsored kits to schools across Canada we will not be able to provide all of the schools
with all of the sponsored kits they have requested. If we had the funding necessary to
provide all of the sponsored kits which teachers have requested to them we could directly
educate another 76,000 Canadian students about drinking water quality issues and
solutions!
Donations and Memberships
Please help us educate the leaders of tomorrow about drinking water quality issues and
solutions by making a donation. Donors can choose to make one-time, monthly or annual
donations. Memberships are valid for one year. Individual memberships cost $20 and
include one complimentary DVD of your choice, either “Downstream” or “Crapshoot”; a
membership can be purchased for $40 to receive both DVDs. Community, corporate and
institution memberships cost $100 and include both DVDs. If corporations donate
$10,000 or more they will also receive recognition on our website which receives over
32,100 unique visitors per year, and their logo will include a hyperlink to their website.
For more information please visit: http://www.safewater.org/make-a-
donation/membership.html
Thanks to everyone who has become a member or made a donation!
Donations can be made by cheque, credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or PayPal via our
website. If you are a Royal Bank online banking customer you can donate using the same
method which you use to pay your bills online, add the Safe Drinking Water Foundation
as a payee (the number that you will need is 07378), and then make your donation.
Receipts for income tax purposes are issued for all donations of $10 or more.
If you have any questions or would like to simply phone us and make a donation with a
credit card please do not hesitate to call us at 306-934-0389. Thanks in advance!
Contact us:
info@safewater.org OR (306) 934-0389You can also read
