Potable Water
Potable drinking water, paved roads, high speed internet, gas $0.50 / litre cheaper, affordable groceries. Yes I am back from Attawapiskat. It’s amazing the things you take for granted. At the moment it is 11:25pm, I am watching the basketball game from my nice comfy couch. If I want I can go to the 24 hour grocery store, pay $4 for salad, a little over $1 for a few fresh banana’s, just over $2 for bread, $4 for orange juice. In Attawapiskat you are limited where you can buy your groceries. The Northern Store is pretty much the only place. Banana’s come out to about $1.25 each, orange juice is about $10 and fresh produce is almost non existent. The produce that you will find is not anywhere near the quality that you will find at one of our local grocery stores. It’s also very expensive. If I remember correctly, 6 apples were over $7.
The week was spent constantly troubleshooting satellite internet connection problems. Satellite internet is the only form of high speed internet access in the community. The highest package is a 2mb connection and will set you back close to $200 per month. In town we get a 5mb DSL or cable connection for about $40.
The living conditions are not the best. The dirt roads were a lot bumpier than I previously remembered. The ditches were filled with garbage. Houses are run down and often shared by multiple families. A new subdivision is being built but not fast enough. The elementary school is condemned due to a previous diesel fuel spill. I am told that the daycare has also been condemned due to a diesel spill. Just last week there was a protest in Ottawa to get a new school built and their request was denied once again. The kids are going to school in various portables. Don’t get me wrong, the portables are acceptable but I’m sure it gets fairly cold in the middle of winter. I wonder if Attawapiskat will ever see the construction of a new school.
Anyways here are some of the pictures that I took during my visit.
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