The Trudeau government is expected to table long awaited legislation tomorrow morning to amend the Navigation Protection Act, formerly the Navigable Waters Protection Act. The amendments are expected to be tabled along with An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act.
“Industry groups who represent Big Oil companies like Enbridge Pipelines Inc., Kinder Morgan Canada and TransCanada Pipelines Limited want protections kept off,” says Maude Barlow, Honorary Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “We hope the Trudeau government did the right thing and listened to the Indigenous nations and community groups calling for all lakes and rivers to be protected.”
The Council of Canadians has also been calling for the federal government to reinstate scrutiny of large pipelines and power lines and to obtain free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples on any changes.
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