World renowned environmentalist and activist David Suzuki spoke out Wednesday about mayoral candidate Brad Braford’s plan for Toronto’s water and how it is managed, saying a fundamental need should not be seen as an avenue to make money.Bradford’s plan involves lowering water bills while making Toronto Water a municipal corporation, like Toronto Hydro, which could then take on debt to fund infrastructure projects, rather than them being funded by the comparatively meagre revenue from water bills alone. Critics say the plan will open the door to privatization and eventually higher water prices.“I think it’s crazy for a person saying they want to be mayor of the city and one of their [ideas] is potential privatization of something like water. That’s crazy,” said Suzuki, speaking at a press conference for Bradford’s chief opponent Olivia Chow.In a passionate speech, Suzuki said “water is priceless and it should be sacred,” appealing to people to vote to protect it rather than try to turn it into a money-making venture.“The fact that we’re even debating this as a political issues shows us the fundamental problem is this: We think we are the dominant creature on the planet and it’s all about us. Our very survival and wellbeing depends on what? Clean air, clean water, clean soil that gives us our food, and the energy from the sun that we get through photosynthesis and plants. That’s the foundation of our existence,” he said.“You would think that any intelligent creature would hold those things up as the source of our wellbeing and so our responsibility is to care for it rather that see it as an opportunity for profit.”Chow claims Bradford will “hand control of water to the Ford government” and Coun. Gord Perks said to gathered media at the press conference that the Province would then have the power to decide who the board of directors will be for the to-be water corporation. “That board of directors has what’s called a ‘fiduciary duty’ to the corporation, not to the City of Toronto and if in their judgement bringing private investors in meets that fiduciary duty that’s a path,” he said, which could also then strip the City of its ability to control pricing.“It’s a scheme that no one is asking for. Why is he doing it? Who is talking to him? I don’t understand just putting our water at risk,” said Chow.Bradford insists Toronto Water will always stay 100% publicIn a news release following Chow’s press conference, a spokesperson for Bradford fired back saying his plan cannot and will not lead to the privatization of Toronto Water because the law itself prevents it.“Provincial law bans private ownership of Toronto’s water. Under the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, as amended this May, shares in a municipal water corporation can only be held by a municipality, the Province or the Government of Canada. Not an investor. Not a pension fund. Not a private company. Private ownership is prohibited in the statute itself,” said Laryssa Waler.She added that Bradford will further protect Toronto Water with municipal bylaws that will ensure that the City is the sole shareholder and private investment of any kind will be prohibited.“Toronto Hydro has been a City-owned corporation since 1999, it borrows to build, and nobody calls it privatized.”In response to critics’ claims that Bradford will handover the utility to the Province and therefore lose the ability to control prices, Waler said Bradford’s plan will ensure that City Council appoints the board of directors. They will set guidance on rates and the city will hold every share — the same structure as Toronto Hydro, whose rates are approved by the Ontario Energy Board.“The people who operate and maintain our water system do excellent work, and they’ll keep doing the same jobs under the same collective agreements, which carry over under the provincial framework,” she said.Chow has repeatedly said that water prices will ultimately increase under Bradford’s plan — something seniors on fixed incomes and other vulnerable groups cannot afford.Bradford said in a post on X that prices will not go up but rather his plan “would lower your water bills by up to 25 per cent by paying for long-term infrastructure over the long term.”He plans on providing a 25 per cent cut on the first $1,500 of charges on every bill and estimates a $300 per annum savings for the average household.Using Hamilton’s water privatization experiment in the mid-90s as an example, Chow said it is important to learn from past mistakes in other jurisdictions.“They had to reverse it. They attempted it, it did not work out,” she said. “Didn’t we learn anything? It’s a bad mistake.”In a final message to Bradford, Suzuki said Chow should not have to argue about the “insanity” of his plan because of the impact on fixed income groups.“She should be just saying ‘look anybody who is running on the assumption that water is a profit-making source of revenue should have no right to run for office — doesn’t make sense to me.”