Three community organizations pooled their resources and personnel to bring Canadian documentary film White Water, Black Gold to the Moose Jaw Museum’s theatre Monday.
“The idea was to have some kind of event to focus people’s attention on World Water Week and World Water Day, which is coming up on Friday,” said Charles Neumann, a spokesperson for the Moose Jaw chapter of the Council of Canadians. “A film screening often provides information and an opportunity to get people together.”
Neumann said the local Council of Canadians chapter looked at several films before deciding on White Water, Black Gold, a documentary that follows Canadian mountaineer David Lavallee’s investigation of the Alberta tarsands.
“There were a few available out there, and we chose this one because it’s a Canadian film that deals with an issue close to home ... and looks at it from a very evidence-based point of view,” said Neumann.
In particular, Neumann said, the film focuses on the tarsands’s aggressive use of fresh water in the production of “dirty oil.”
“It’s about the devastation of the water,” said Isabelle Hanson, a spokesperson for the Moose Jaw Idle No More chapter, which co-sponsored the screening and led a small march from City Hall to the Museum prior to the event.
Also involved was the Moose Jaw Health Coalition.
Neumann said the co-operation of the three organizations was “encouraging.”
“You get more people (involved), you get more discussion and people don’t feel that they’re isolated,” said Neumann. “It’s a good approach, I think.”
This is the first of two screenings planned for World Water Week. The second, of the film Bottled Life, will be held at the Zion United Church social hall this Friday — World Water Day — at 12 p.m.
