Water

Canada is home to up to a fifth of the world's supply of fresh water. Priceless you might think, but not according to the Canadian government of Prime Minister John Chréétien. It has put out a call for tenders on placing a dollar value to Canada's vast water assets. Critics say it's another sign that the government will eventually allow exports of bulk water. When the government's electronic tendering web site put out a …

…Labrador and possibly the rest of Canada is something we should examine, and something we should do and I hope we can find a way to do it." One of the main problems with the bulk sale and export of water is that once it starts, the water becomes a commodity under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Critics say at that point Canadian sovereignty over its water will take a back seat to trade.