Help Bring Safe Drinking Water to Nearby First Nations Communities

This National Indigenous Peoples Day, you have an opportunity to make a meaningful impact right here in our region.

Several nearby First Nations communities, including Oneida Nation of the Thames, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, and Munsee-Delaware Nation, continue to live under long-term water advisories. More than 3,400 people are affected, without consistent access to safe, clean drinking water.

While boil water advisories are in place to reduce harmful bacteria and viruses, they do not remove contaminants like heavy metals or pesticides. As a result, many families still face daily uncertainty when it comes to drinking, bathing, and cooking safely.

To help support these communities this summer, the Institute of Indigenous Learning and the All My Relations course have partnered to organize a donation drive looking for:

• Sealed cases of bottled water

• Sealed water jugs

  • 📍 Drop-off location: J1003 – Wellness Centre Desk (London Campus, 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd.)

• Monetary donations which can be made online through Retail Services

• 📅 Deadline: June 21, 2026

Every donation will help provide families with safer access to drinking water during this ongoing crisis.

Beyond its immediate impact, this initiative reflects Fanshawe’s commitment to reconciliation, community partnership, and social responsibility. It’s also an opportunity for students, staff, and faculty to unite around a cause that is both local and deeply important.

This effort goes beyond providing water, it’s about raising awareness, strengthening relationships, and taking meaningful action when it matters most.

Our goal is simple yet powerful: to help ensure more families in nearby communities have access to safer water, especially during the summer months when the need is even greater.

Clean water is a basic human right.

Together, we can stand in solidarity, take action, and support our neighbours in a tangible way.

💙 Every donation counts. Every action matters. Safe water starts with you.

Learn more and get involved

Students, faculty, and staff can also enroll in a fully online program focused on Indigenous relations, past and present, both in Canada and globally. Through discussion and experiential learning, you will gain tools to advocate for positive change within communities.

To learn more or register, please visit: https://www.fanshawec.ca/pt/ira1-indigenous-relations-and-advocacy