Birch Bark Coffee Co AWC

Birch Bark Coffee co has teamed up with AWC with an exciting new project to donate one water purifier for every 50 bags of coffee sold.

Canada is regarded as one of the richest countries in the world and ranked as one of the United Nations’ top places in the world to live, yet Indigenous families continue to live in “Third World“ like conditions.

It is estimated that thousands of people continue to go without clean drinking water and even more frightful is that this has been going on for decades.

In Canada there are over 635 communities and Indigenous people make up an estimated 5% of the population. This national crisis should have never happened in the first place.

Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow
Founder of Birch Bark Coffee Company

Coffee producer installs first water purifier on First Nation near Ottawa

Our Indigenous communities believe water is one of the most sacred gifts to mother earth, but yet, here in Canada, hundreds of First Nations communities continue to live in Third World conditions. Our water systems are contaminated, which results in severe health problems. The time for change is now in order to provide a brighter, healthier future for all Indigenous communities across Canada.

According to statistics, there have been more than 153 “Boiled Water Advisories” that have been listed on the federal government’s website and most recently it has gone up to 250 communities. In Ontario alone, there were roughly 86 First Nations reserves still suffering, to some degree, but the numbers remain unclear because as announcements are made of recently lifted long-term drinking water advisories, more long-term drinking water advisories appear on the Indigenous and Northern Affairs website. Sadly, for some of these communities, they have been suffering from these poor conditions for decades.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WATER CRISIS IN OUR FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITIES

ACCESS TO CLEAN DRINKING WATER IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT.

The government has committed to end drinking water advisories that last more than one year by March 2021. There are well over 270,000 thousand Indigenous people suffering from unfit drinking water and the reality is that this is unacceptable. If change is going to occur, then it needs to happen immediately – not five years from now. Access to clean drinking water for Indigenous communities should be a priority.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

OUR GOAL IS SIMPLE: BRING GOOD QUALITY DRINKING WATER TO EVERY HOME, EVERY RESERVE, EVERY TREATY, AND EVERY TERRITORY THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM A HOME PURIFICATION SYSTEM – FOR FREE.

Birch Bark Coffee Company, through the sales of its coffee, plans to take immediate action to elevate “All Water Advisories” and not just exclusive to “Boiled Water Advisories” in Ontario and the other provinces across Canada.

For every 40 bags of coffee sold, we will be able to equip one home with a certified CanAm Wellness water purification unit purchased and installed for free.

BelKraft Slimline water purifier

We have collaborated with AWC to purchase their certified AWC Six-Stage Water Purification Systems, and plan to install them at no cost to Indigenous families and communities suffering from poor water conditions on every reserve in Ontario and in Canada.

If you are a retailer and would like to be part of this mission to save lives all while offering your clients great coffee call us.

About 10% of every purchase will go towards a BelKraft Slimline water purifier.

We have made a page to learn how to maintain and clean your new Slimline purifier. Click HERE.

CanAm Wellness Slimline water purifier

You may not be aware that our Federal government is shipping millions of dollars worth of plastic water bottles every year to First Nations reserves and other communities with boil-water alerts.

On the surface this may appear to be a goodwill gesture. On the other hand however, these plastic bottles are doing irreversible damage to our planet and ecosystem. In fact,51 billion plastic bottles are produced and disposed of annually in Canada and the US alone.

But this is a far more serious problem than our government leads us to believe. Learn what else these plastics are doing to the health of our planet and our bodies.

Scientists agree that the trihalomethanes, VOC’s and plastics in our drinking water today can cause many forms of cancer. The effort to make our own water drinkable is a step in the right direction when it comes to stalling the slow death of our delicate aquatic ecosystem and planet. One way Birch Bark Coffee and CanAm Wellness is helping, is by making water purifiers available to areas with boil-water alerts – at no cost to the family.

Usually a boil water alert is because of high levels of E.coli (bacterium Escherichia coli) du to inadequate treatment from the towns water treatment facility.

Our purifiers remove 99.9999% of E.coli (Pathogenic bacteria—Cholera, Typhoid, Salmonella, E. Coli, Fecal Coliform—>99.9999% (ALcontrol Laboratories)

Cysts—Cryptosporidium Parvum, Giardia Lamblia—100% (ALcontrol Laboratories)

Often the problem is discovered too late and by the time you hear the news your family is already sick and infected.

A purifier not only makes the water taste great because all the chemicals are removed, but is also insurance than once the problem is fixed you never have to worry about it recurring. Also, we need to know that many microbes are chlorine resistant and even a UV light can’t kill Cryptosporidium (which is even in the Ottawa River.)

Also, they usually fix the problem by cranking up the chlorine levels which then creates an even more serious concern. Health Canada admits that chlorine creates a by-product called trihalomethanes (THMs) which is a known carcinogen.

Chlorination of municipal water exposes us to a variety of toxic chemicals, one being trihalomethanes (THMs), which are byproducts of chlorination. Studies have linked THMs to miscarriage and fetal malformations, and they may be also associated with an increased risk of stillbirths and bladder cancer.

If the town addresses the E.coli problem, then we need to remove all the toxic chemicals used in the disinfection of the town water.

So a purifier is something we all need for life and for good health for yourself and your family.

See the article with Northern Ontario Business magazine

If you are a charity organization and want to help with our cause to secure safe clean drinking water for those in need in communities with boil water alerts, you can do so directly with us. Go HERE for more details.