The Council of Canadians
Professional services
UnclaimedA Canadian nonprofit advocacy organization focused on water, public health care, fair trade, energy, democracy, and public control of essential services.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Council of Canadians is a Canadian nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1985 during the political debate surrounding the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement and, subsequently, the North American Free Trade Agreement. It was established by publisher and nationalist campaigner Mel Hurtig, with founding participation from prominent Canadian writers, scientists, activists, and politicians, including Maude Barlow, Margaret Atwood, David Suzuki, Farley Mowat, Pierre Berton, and Margaret Laurence. The organization emerged from concern that international trade agreements could reduce Canada’s ability to make independent decisions about its economy, culture, environment, and public services. The Council’s original emphasis was civic nationalism and opposition to free-trade arrangements that it believed could transfer policy authority from elected Canadian institutions to multinational corporations or international dispute mechanisms. Over time, its agenda broadened substantially. It has campaigned on public health care, clean water, water privatization, energy policy, climate and environmental protection, pensions, corporate influence, democratic accountability, and the preservation of public control over essential services. Its work generally combines public education, research, coalition building, political advocacy, grassroots organizing, media activity, and support for legal or community challenges. The organization is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, and has regional offices in Halifax, Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver, alongside a network of local chapters across Canada. Although its principal focus is domestic Canadian policy, its Blue Planet Project gives it an international dimension. That project advocates recognition and implementation of the human right to water and sanitation and connects Canadian water debates with global concerns about privatization, access, ecological degradation, and corporate control. The Council is an overtly political advocacy body and therefore does not qualify as a registered charity in Canada. Its funding model has historically emphasized individual members and supporters. For the 2011–2012 fiscal year, the organization reported that 92 percent of its funding came from members and supporters, whose average contribution was reported as $54.59, while foundation grants accounted for a further seven percent. The organization has stated that it receives no money from governments or corporations, while not making the same claim regarding funding from groups such as labor unions or environmental organizations. Its public-facing output has included the twice-yearly magazine Canadian Perspectives, campaign materials, policy communications, and organizing resources. The Council has also supported labor organizations and community groups in disputes involving public services and environmental or infrastructure decisions. Examples of its activism include support for litigation related to alleged voter suppression during the 2011 federal election, a 2016 boycott of Nestlé over groundwater and bottled-water concerns, and protests against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. These activities illustrate the organization’s broader positioning: it presents itself as a citizen-centered counterweight to concentrated corporate power and government policies it views as weakening democratic control, environmental protection, or universal public services.
History
The Council of Canadians was established in 1985 as Canada approached negotiations and political debate over the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement. Its creation reflected concern that a broad free-trade framework could constrain Canadian sovereignty and reduce the ability of Canadian governments to determine economic, cultural, environmental, and public-service policy. Mel Hurtig was the organization’s founder. The founding group also included a number of nationally prominent Canadians, among them Maude Barlow, Margaret Atwood, David Suzuki, Farley Mowat, Pierre Berton, and Margaret Laurence, as well as politicians and other public figures. In its early period, the Council criticized the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement and later the North American Free Trade Agreement from a civic-nationalist and protectionist perspective. Its argument was not limited to tariff policy. The organization maintained that international trade rules could give corporations and external institutions excessive influence over domestic decision-making and could place Canadian cultural programs, environmental regulations, public services, and economic planning under pressure. This framing became a defining element of the Council’s identity and distinguished it from organizations focused only on conventional environmental or labor advocacy. The Council later expanded its program beyond trade. Public health care, pensions, clean energy, water protection, democracy, and corporate accountability became recurring areas of work. Water emerged as one of its most recognizable subjects, including opposition to privatization and bottled-water extraction and support for public stewardship of water resources. Its Blue Planet Project extended this work internationally by advocating the human right to water and sanitation. Through that project, the organization linked Canadian policy debates to global questions concerning access, affordability, public ownership, ecological sustainability, and the responsibilities of governments and corporations. The organization operates from Ottawa and has regional offices in Halifax, Toronto, Edmonton, and Vancouver, supported by local chapters across Canada. Its methods have included research, public communications, petitions, electoral and legislative advocacy, demonstrations, coalition work, support for community campaigns, and participation in litigation. It has frequently worked alongside unions, environmental organizations, and other civil-society groups. The Council’s political activity means that it is not registered as a Canadian charity, a status consistent with its explicit involvement in public-policy and electoral debates. In 2011, the Council supported a lawsuit brought by voters concerning allegations of voter suppression during the federal election. The case was unsuccessful, and the plaintiffs did not pursue a further appeal. In 2014, a Council organizer was among protesters arrested at Burnaby Mountain during opposition to the proposed expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. The charges arising from the arrests were later dismissed. In 2016, the organization launched a boycott of Nestlé over a dispute involving access to a local well and used the campaign to call for reform of the bottled-water industry and stronger protection of groundwater. The Council has historically relied heavily on individual supporters. Information cited for fiscal 2011–2012 stated that members and supporters supplied 92 percent of funding, with an average contribution of $54.59, while foundation grants supplied seven percent. The organization has said it receives no government or corporate money, though that statement does not extend to all possible support from labor unions or environmental activist organizations. It has also published Canadian Perspectives twice a year. In its present form, the Council remains a national advocacy network combining Canadian economic-sovereignty concerns with campaigns for public services, environmental protection, democratic accountability, and international water rights.
- 2016
Nestlé boycott launched
[1]The organization began a boycott of Nestlé in response to a groundwater-access dispute and broader concerns about bottled-water extraction.
- 2014
Burnaby Mountain pipeline protest
[1]A Council organizer was arrested with other protesters during opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion; all charges were later dismissed.
- 2011
Support for election-related voter lawsuit
[1]The Council supported a lawsuit brought by voters over allegations associated with the 2011 federal election voter-suppression scandal.
- 1985
Organization founded
[1]Mel Hurtig founded the Council of Canadians during the lead-up to the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement debate, with prominent Canadians among its founding members.
Products and positioning
A grassroots, civic-nationalist and public-interest advocacy organization that challenges free-trade expansion, privatization, corporate influence, and environmentally harmful infrastructure while promoting public control, universal services, democratic accountability, and the human right to water.
Publication
Canadian Perspectives
A magazine published by the Council of Canadians twice a year. It serves as a platform for the organization’s analysis, campaign communications, and public-interest perspectives on trade, water, health care, democracy, energy, and related policy issues.
International advocacy program
Blue Planet Project
An international initiative focused on implementation of the human right to water and sanitation. The project connects local and national water debates with broader campaigns concerning public access, water governance, privatization, ecological protection, and accountability.
Advocacy service · 1985
National advocacy campaigns
The Council develops and supports campaigns addressing clean water, fair trade, public health care, green energy, democracy, public pensions, corporate influence, and other issues affecting public policy and essential services. Delivery methods include research, organizing, coalition work, public education, and political advocacy.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Nestlé boycott
Canada
The Council called for a boycott of Nestlé after the company outbid a small town seeking a long-term water supply from a local well. The campaign framed the dispute as part of wider concerns about bottled-water regulation, drought, and groundwater depletion.
- 2014Opposition to Trans Mountain pipeline expansion
Canada
The Council participated in opposition to Kinder Morgan’s proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, including support for protest activity at Burnaby Mountain.
Outcome. Charges against the arrested protesters were subsequently dismissed.
- 2011Election accountability advocacy
Canada
The Council supported voters pursuing litigation over allegations of voter suppression connected to the 2011 Canadian federal election.
Outcome. The voters lost the lawsuit and decided not to appeal.
Brand decisions
2016
Escalation of bottled-water advocacy through Nestlé boycottStrategyBackground
The organization linked a local dispute over access to a groundwater well with national concerns about bottled-water extraction, drought, and depletion of groundwater reserves.
Action taken
It launched a public boycott of Nestlé and called for reform of the bottled-water industry.
2014
Direct-action opposition to Trans Mountain expansionStrategyBackground
The Council opposed Kinder Morgan’s proposed pipeline expansion on environmental and public-interest grounds.
Action taken
Its organizer participated in civil-disobedience protests at Burnaby Mountain against pipeline survey work.
Aftermath
The organizer and other protesters were arrested, but all charges were later dismissed.
Sources2 sources
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