The CBC reports today that, with the changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act now approved, “the federal transport minister can now decide what waterway qualifies as major or minor under the legislation and if there needs to be any environmental assessment before development goes ahead.”
WIDE COALITION OPPOSED TO THESE CHANGES
“The government argues that that the old law treated small creeks and big rivers the same and was slowing down crucial construction projects…But the changes have sparked a wide coalition of paddlers, environmentalists and hunters and anglers who fear that a dam or a bridge could be built on their favourite river with no public input.”
THOUSANDS HAVE EMAILED POLITICIANS ON THIS ISSUE “Thousands have been reportedly emailing politicians over the changes. Liberal Senator Joseph Day, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said he has received more than 8,000 messages on the topic.”
THE COUNCIL OF CANADIANS
1. To read the campaign blog ‘Baird plans changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act’, please go to http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=167
2. To see our ‘ACTION ALERT: Demand that the amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act be pulled out of the budget bill!’, you can go to http://canadians.org/action/2009/25-Feb-09.html
3. On March 6, Ontario-Quebec organizer Stuart Trew organized a protest on this issue outside a luncheon in Toronto where federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was speaking.
4. On March 12, national water campaigner Meera Karunananthan raised our concerns on this matter with 16 Liberal MPs at their water caucus meeting.
5. We will continue to monitor this issue and are ready to speak out against any destructive projects now made possible by the changes to this Act.
To read today’s CBC report, please click on http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/03/14/navigable-waters.html