The environmentally bankrupt Harper government is quietly working away on changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act that will erase one of the fundamental of Canadian Rights, the right to navigation our rivers and lakes.
This is BIG!
The common law right of navigation in Canada is a historic and a heritage right that pre-dates confederation. The Navigable Waters Protection Act, the act that enshrines the navigation rights in law, was enacted when Sir John A MacDonald was prime minister.
There is a parliamentary committee looking at possible changes to the NWPA, with the clearly stated objective of removing barriers in the approval process for development on rivers.
If the Harper government gets its way, the obligation of any developer to consider navigation when assessing the impact of project on a river, will be severely reduced or eliminated. Navigation rights will no longer be a consideration.
The parliamentary committee is seeking public input on possible changes to the NWPA, and get this...NO PADDLING ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN CONSULTED. The public comment period ends May 26 and the paddling community has just heard about this.
Harper wants to eliminate navigation rights, without talking to the people who navigate.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact your member of parliament. If you don't know who that is check here:
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParl ... Language=E
Tell you member this:
- the Harper government needs to act to protect the environment
- navigation is an important heritage right in Canada that needs to be protected
- the paddling community was not invited to provide input to the committee
- the paddling community needs an extension in the time limit for input to the committee in order to prepare submissions
Please do this NOW, TODAY.
See the link to the other thread on this below with more detail. More later on all of this.
thanks
Doug
Every River in Canada is now Threatened
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the great gonzo
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Here's a great form letter to use if you can't type it up.
Be warned, if you send an email you likely will not get much more than an equally laborious automated response back. Best approach, snail mail a letter, or meet with your MP.
This is absolutely infuriating!!
Friday May 23, I was made aware that the Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities Committee of parliament is currently studying the Navigable Waters Protection Act and seeking public input with the expressed purpose of reducing the obligation of developers, private or public, to consider impacts on navigation when proposing developments on rivers.
I understand that the committee solicited public input directly from stakeholders beginning in March of this year. And that the deadline for submissions to this committee is Monday, May 26.
I also understand that NO PADDLING ORGANIZATIONS, COMMERCIAL OR RECREATIONAL were contacted to submit comments.
It is unthinkable, that the Canadian Government would consider reducing navigation rights through changes to the NWPA, without even talking to the people, organizations and businesses that will be impacted by those changes.
Navigation is my right. Navigation is my heritage. My country was discovered, explored and developed through the act of navigation.
The common law right of navigation pre-dates confederation. The NWPA was one of the first significant pieces of national legislation enacted in the country. The NWPA was enacted when Sir John A MacDonald was Prime Minister.
An impact on navigation is an impact on our environment. This is not a time for the Canadian Government to be eliminating or watering down or diminishing the laws that help us protect our environment.
I ask that you act quickly to achieve the following:
- extend the deadline for public submissions to the Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities Committee on this topic, so that the people, organizations and businesses involved in navigation in Canada have an opportunity to contribute to the discussion
- act now to protect our environment and our heritage by modernizing the strengthening the protection of navigation rights provisions in the NWPA
I find it ironic that, as we approach National Rivers Day in Canada, June 8, the Canadian government is considering changes to the NWPA that would put every river in Canada at risk.
We need development, but we don't need FAST TRACK development. We need SMART TRACK development. We need development that considers the all values, past, current and future.
Navigation is a fundamental Canadian right. Please tell me what actions you plan to take to protect our environment, our Canadian heritage, and our common law right of navigation.
respectfully yours
________
BMW Z3 HISTORY
Be warned, if you send an email you likely will not get much more than an equally laborious automated response back. Best approach, snail mail a letter, or meet with your MP.
This is absolutely infuriating!!
Friday May 23, I was made aware that the Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities Committee of parliament is currently studying the Navigable Waters Protection Act and seeking public input with the expressed purpose of reducing the obligation of developers, private or public, to consider impacts on navigation when proposing developments on rivers.
I understand that the committee solicited public input directly from stakeholders beginning in March of this year. And that the deadline for submissions to this committee is Monday, May 26.
I also understand that NO PADDLING ORGANIZATIONS, COMMERCIAL OR RECREATIONAL were contacted to submit comments.
It is unthinkable, that the Canadian Government would consider reducing navigation rights through changes to the NWPA, without even talking to the people, organizations and businesses that will be impacted by those changes.
Navigation is my right. Navigation is my heritage. My country was discovered, explored and developed through the act of navigation.
The common law right of navigation pre-dates confederation. The NWPA was one of the first significant pieces of national legislation enacted in the country. The NWPA was enacted when Sir John A MacDonald was Prime Minister.
An impact on navigation is an impact on our environment. This is not a time for the Canadian Government to be eliminating or watering down or diminishing the laws that help us protect our environment.
I ask that you act quickly to achieve the following:
- extend the deadline for public submissions to the Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities Committee on this topic, so that the people, organizations and businesses involved in navigation in Canada have an opportunity to contribute to the discussion
- act now to protect our environment and our heritage by modernizing the strengthening the protection of navigation rights provisions in the NWPA
I find it ironic that, as we approach National Rivers Day in Canada, June 8, the Canadian government is considering changes to the NWPA that would put every river in Canada at risk.
We need development, but we don't need FAST TRACK development. We need SMART TRACK development. We need development that considers the all values, past, current and future.
Navigation is a fundamental Canadian right. Please tell me what actions you plan to take to protect our environment, our Canadian heritage, and our common law right of navigation.
respectfully yours
________
BMW Z3 HISTORY