Emma Lui at paint night in Vancouver.
Council of Canadians campaigner Emma Lui organized a paint night in Vancouver last night, and regional organizer Brigette DePape organized a similar event in Winnipeg on September 23.
In 2012, the Harper government gutted the former Navigable Waters Protection Act through omnibus bills. C-38 removed pipelines and power lines from provisions of the Navigable Waters Protect Act while C-45 significantly reduced the Act’s scope over waterways. Maude Barlow has commented, “The Harper government killed the Navigable Waters Protection Act, stripping protections from 99 per cent of lakes and rivers in Canada. Major pipelines and inter-provincial power lines now have the green light to cross over and under more than 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers without federal scrutiny.”
The outreach for the Winnipeg paint night event highlighted, “Tap into your creative side to protect water! Join us for a fun evening to create your own painting of a lake or river you want protected. With local artists Sarah Thiessen and Jeanine Saurette. Each person will have the chance to create a painting of a lake or river we want protected. Take the painting home or write a personal message of why water is important to you and deliver it to a Member of Parliament to encourage stronger regulations on water. The community art workshop is suitable for beginners.”
And in Vancouver we highlighted, “Join us for a fun evening to create your own painting of a water. Led by artist Joni Danielson. Speakers will include: Cecilia Point from Musqueam Nation, Lynn Chapman from Peace Valley Environment Association, and Emma Lui from Council of Canadians. Using ink and mixed media, we will create a series of paintings to make a collaborative art piece on a banner. You will also have an opportunity to write a personal message of why water is important to you on the artwork, which will be presented to a Member of Parliament on a later date to encourage stronger regulations on water. You can come just for the painting, or you can also join us in delivering the banner. Come be a part of it!”
Lui tells us, “The paint night went very well! There was close to 30 people and most of them signed the Every Lake, Every River petition.”
Both events were organized to celebrate water in the lead up to World Rivers Day today.
Our Every Lake, Every River petition says that the protections that were cut from the Act must be fully restored; All lakes, rivers and waterways must be protected; Strict safeguards for waterways must be implemented within the framework of the United Nations-recognized human right to water; water sustainability and water justice must be at the heart of all policy and practice so that water no longer takes the back seat to other interests and priorities, such as ‘free trade’ agreements, mining and pipelines; and that water must be recognized as a public trust, and a common heritage to be protected for all people and future generations.
To sign our Every Lake, Every River petition, please click here.
