As part of the Blue Dot campaign, Montreal is now the fourth city in Canada to pass a municipal declaration respecting its citizens’ right to live in a healthy environment.

Community by community, the David Suzuki Foundation initiative aims to protect clean water, fresh air, healthy food and the democratic say in decisions that impact health.

Ultimately, the intention is for environmental protection to be a right secured by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. More than 110 nations around the globe already have this right, but not Canada.

Cam Cheema, regional organizer of the Blue Dot campaign in Quebec, applauded the commitment of Montreal citizens. “Thanks to them, Montreal has stepped up as a leader in a national movement that has the potential to transform Canada,” he said.

Spurred by controversial projects like Enbridge’s Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain and TransCanada’s Energy East pipelines, along with intensified opposition from aboriginal groups to environmentalists, people around the country are beginning to rally around overall policy change.

Richmond, B.C., The Pas, Manitoba and Vancouver, B.C. were the first three cities on board.

“These cities represent almost two-and-a-half million Canadians who now benefit from local governments willing to include their citizens in decisions that impact the health of the people and places they love,” declared Sophika Kostyniuk, national organizing manager of the David Suzuki Foundation.