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Winnepeg Free Press, February 24, 2009. "City waterways could lose protection: Possible end to environmental reviews upsets recreational paddlers."
City waterways could lose protection
Possible end to environmental reviews upsets recreational paddlers
By: Bartley Kives
Six out of Winnipeg’s eight waterways could lose federal protection under proposed legislative changes that have recreational paddlers more riled up than a rough set of rapids.
A budget bill winding its way through the House of Commons this week includes changes to the Navigable Water Protection Act, a 127-year-old piece of legislation that tries to balance the public’s right to paddle a river or stream with the need to build bridges, dams or locks.
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Collingwood Connection, Feb 24, 2009. "Water routes at risk under new legislation"
Editor:
The Harper government is poised to erase the historic right of navigation in Canada, a common law right that pre-dates Confederation. The Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) was enacted in 1882 to regulate the construction of dams and bridges and guard marine routes from intrusions by the logging industry. In public announcements published in the major media January 12 and 13, 2009, the government stated its intent to gut the NWPA as part of its plan to inject billions of dollars into infrastructure programs across the country. The Harper government says the NWPA is antiquated and they want it out of the way...
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The Tylee, Feb 23, 2009. "Campbell Wants to Repeal Waterways Access Law: 1882 Act protects citizens' right of access to rivers, lakes, ocean inlets."
By Andrew MacLeod
The premier of British Columbia, Gordon Campbell, wants the federal government to repeal a major piece of legislation that helps protect the environment.
The attack, which comes at a time when the federal government is already trying to weaken the act in question, at first appeared inconsequential. It rated just one sentence deep in Feb. 16's 40-page speech from the throne.
"The federal Navigable Waters Act [sic] should be repealed and replaced by legislation that meets the legitimate needs of the 21st century," said the speech, which sets out the government's priorities. "A unified major project review process will speed up job creation in mining, energy, resort development and other areas."
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The Hook, Feb 23, 2009. "Changes to waterways access law should be delayed: lawyer."
By Andrew MacLeod
The amendments to the federal Navigable Waters Protection Act should be pulled out of Stephen Harper's budget bill and considered more fully in the spring, said a lawyer fighting the changes.
“Ecojustice recommends that the proposed amendments be withdrawn from the Budget Implementation Act,” said a Feb. 19 memo by Ecojustice staff lawyer Will Amos. “At the very least, it would only be appropriate for the proposed changes to be considered more fully by all relevant constituencies in the spring of 2009, when the federal government has announced that it will be presenting a bill to reform the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.”
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