Coffee producer installs first water purifier on First Nation near Ottawa


Todd Lamirande
APTN News

The owner of an Ontario coffee company is using proceeds from his sales to install water purification systems in First Nation communities.

As three systems were recently installed in homes on the Pikwakanagan First Nation, Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow of the Birch Bark Coffee Company says it’s “a very exciting day for me.”


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32 thoughts on “Coffee producer installs first water purifier on First Nation near Ottawa

  1. Question says:

    He says he can fix the drinking water crisis across the country if everyone buys one bag of coffee. The website says it is $1-2/bag that goes to the filters, that would be mean than $70 million. The Parliamentary Budget Officer in December 2017 issued a report that it would cost $3.2 billion: $1.8 billion for drinking water systems and another $1.4 billion for wastewater systems. Did APTN ask him about that?

    1. You misunderstood what he said.
      If every Canadian bought a bag then he could buy 36 million dollars worth of purifiers. And that would be enough to install a purifier in the homes of the reserves where there is a boil water alert. These are the people who need protection first.
      Other cities and wast-water issues are not part of this quest.

  2. He says he can fix the drinking water crisis across the country if everyone buys one bag of coffee. The website says it is $1-2/bag that goes to the filters, that would be mean than $70 million. The Parliamentary Budget Officer in December 2017 issued a report that it would cost $3.2 billion: $1.8 billion for drinking water systems and another $1.4 billion for wastewater systems. Did APTN ask him about that?

    1. You misunderstood what he said.
      If every Canadian bought a bag then he could buy 36 million dollars worth of purifiers. And that would be enough to install a purifier in the homes of the reserves where there is a boil water alert. These are the people who need protection first.
      Other cities and wast-water issues are not part of this quest.

  3. Isn’t it irresponsible to be promoting this without even knowing if it’s effective? The video says the test results aren’t available for another four to five weeks. So there’s no evidence that the water filter works.

    1. I have to agree with you there. We know what a purifier can do for municipal treated water, but for well water it may not work as well or be adequate. Thus the reason for the tests.

  4. We’ve bought and loved Birch Bark Coffee! So glad to see their work come to fruition!! Well done!

  5. Isn’t it irresponsible to be promoting this without even knowing if it’s effective? The video says the test results aren’t available for another four to five weeks. So there’s no evidence that the water filter works.

    1. I have to agree with you there. We know what a purifier can do for municipal treated water, but for well water it may not work as well or be adequate. Thus the reason for the tests.

  6. I would gladly support your humanitarian efforts and buy your coffee. Please put the brand in the heading !
    Miigwetch to you !

  7. We’ve bought and loved Birch Bark Coffee! So glad to see their work come to fruition!! Well done!

  8. I was just on the Pikwakanagan and asked several people about this and nobody had heard of it.

  9. I would gladly support your humanitarian efforts and buy your coffee. Please put the brand in the heading !
    Miigwetch to you !

  10. I was just on the Pikwakanagan and asked several people about this and nobody had heard of it.

  11. Thank you! Hard to believe this is still happening in Ontario. Put the brand name in the heading and where to buy it. I for one will buy your coffee.

  12. Thank you! Hard to believe this is still happening in Ontario. Put the brand name in the heading and where to buy it. I for one will buy your coffee.

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