Nestl\u00e9 is in the midst of trying to sell most of its North American water bottling business.<\/p>\n
There is currently a moratorium in place on new permits to take water for bottling in Ontario until next spring.<\/p>\n
Mike Balkwill, campaign director with the Wellington Water Watchers, said there is now a special moment where it\u2019s up in the air with what\u2019s going to happen to Nestl\u00e9.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re demanding that Nestl\u00e9 divest itself of several of its most controversial and sensitive locations before they proceed with the sale of their North American operation,\u201d Balkwill said.<\/p>\n
Balkwill said that means returning the Aberfoyle complex back to Six Nations, because it\u2019s\u00a0part of the Haldimand Tract land.<\/p>\n
He said the water advocacy group is also asking Nestl\u00e9 to return the Hillsburgh well back to the Town of Erin, and the Middlebrook well back to the Township of Centre Wellington.<\/p>\n
Balkwill said it would be wonderful if Nestl\u00e9 was generous.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd offered to give the Aberfoyle complex to Six Nations and offered to at least sell the Middlebrook and Hillsburgh locations to their respective municipalities\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But Balkwill said it would be out of character for Nestl\u00e9 to be so generous and aware of what the public needs.<\/p>\n
For 20 years, Nestl\u00e9 has been taking essentially the future water security of people in Wellington County, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been bottling it and selling it to communities across Eastern Canada and beyond, they\u2019ve been exporting the profits to Switzerland, while only 60 kilometres away, 90 per cent of the residents of Six Nations lack clean drinking water,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Balkwill said if Nestl\u00e9 does not give back the wells, then the water advocacy group is urging the provincial government to step in and buy them back.<\/p>\n
Nestl\u00e9 was contacted for comment, but they did not respond.<\/p>\n
Mike Balkwill, campaign director with the Wellington Water Watchers:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n