A Threat to Navigable Waterways
I recently came across this issue. After reading about it from numerous sources, checking facts and the issues at hand, I feel this is a real threat to something that makes a Canadian a Canadian.
The government wants to change the law to exclude all minor waterways from federal protection. What is a minor waterway? If a watercraft with 1.5m of draft cannot pass, it is a minor waterway. That means that every smaller river, creek, pond, and lake will not be under federal protection from obstructions to navigation and the environmental impact studies required for any construction. As well, all bridges, causeways, and dams will be exempt from impact studies. This means that almost all construction that affects a waterway will be approved without the normal checks and balances required. The government is complaining about a backlog of work due to the impact studies required. But removing any of Canada's waterways from protection is an offense to our cultural heritage. Canada was founded as a direct result of the ability of people to navigate it's waters. The Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) was instituted by Canada's first Prime Minister to protect these waterways as the arteries that keep Canada alive. Now the government wants to turn it's back on this heritage in order to simply fast track some conveniences.
For more information on the issue, and the steps you can take to prevent this law from being passed, please visit the following link:
http://www.ispeakforcanadianrivers.ca/
