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We need to help Canadian politicians understand what is at risk if the proposed changes to the NWPA are passed into law.

Bill C-10, the Budget Implementation Act, the act that will erase the historic public right of navigation in Canada, is heading for the Senate.

We need to generate a reasoned debate in the Upper Chamber about the government's attempt to erase navigation rights in Canada with zero public consultation.

Please take a minute and send the email message below, or your own message to the members of the Senate and urge them to amend C-10 so that proper public consultation can take place on the elimination of the ancient right of navigatoin in Canada.

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  3. Add your name and home location to the bottom of the text below.
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BODY OF MESSAGE
____________________________


Members of the Senate:

I am writing to you as a Canadian citizen, about of matter of the utmost urgency.

I understand that Bill C-10 (the Budget Implementation Act, BIA) is scheduled for review in the Senate very soon.

There is a very serious problem with this bill that has nothing to do with the budget or economic recovery.

Section 7 of the BIA includes a drastic re-write of the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA).

Lawyers who have looked at these amendments say that if passed, navigation will change from an ancient public right in Canada, to a ministerial discretion.

The public right of navigation pre-dates confederation. It is part of our heritage and the heritage of Aboriginal Canadians.

The NWPA was enacted in 1882 when Sir John A. MacDonald was Prime Minister. The public right of navigation was important in 1882 and it is important now.

If the NWPA amendments are passed, the public right of navigation will exist only at the discretion of the Minister of Transport. The Minister may at any time, without consulting Parliament or the public, determine which Canadian waterways are navigable, and which development projects on waterways will require a permit under the NWPA.

This is a travesty. Because these changes are buried in a budget bill, they have not been debated in Parliament. We do not believe this government has a mandate to erase a public right that pre-dates confederation with no Parliamentary debate and no public
consultation.

Millions of Canadians access our waterways, for pleasure, for recreation, to access natural areas, for hunting, for fishing, and for business and commercial purposes.

The local and regional economies in many areas of Canada depend on outdoor tourism and access to waterways. The public use of waterways generates many millions of dollars worth of business in our economy.

I urge you to please look closely at Section 7 of the BIA when it arrives in the Senate. Please understand that it will erase an important part of Canada’s heritage and the heritage of our Aboriginal People.

SEND C-10 BACK TO THE GOVERNMENT WITH AN AMENDMENT REMVOING SECTION 7 SO THAT PROPER PUBLIC CONSULTATION CAN BE CONDUCTED ON THE ELIMINATION OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF NAVIGATION
IN CANADA.

Thank you,

YOUR NAME
TOWN/CITY
PROVINCE/TERRITORY


Send your letter in one click through Sierra Club's website, here, or, download our open letter to Parliament , and send it to the below email addresses.

Write your elected Member of Parliament and Members of the Parliamentary committee for Transport Infrastructure and Communities, Finance Committee. List as follows, copy and paste into your email.

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(For a clearer picture on who's who on the committees, click here.)

Download our open letter to Parliament , send it to the above email addresses (or, send your letter in one click through Sierra Club's website, here)


Feel free to also send your letter to:

  • your provincial MPP, MLAs or territorial representatives (find them here)
  • Minister of Environment, Jim Prentice, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Minister of Fisheries & Oceans, Gail Shea, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it


Key Points for Letter Writing

Explain your views about the critical importance of protecting our heritage right of navigation and safeguarding the health of Canada's waterways.

Explain that removing the legal requirement for assessment of the environmental impacts of navigation on Canadian waterways will put thousands of rivers in Canada at risk.

Explain that you are extremely offended by the actions of the government of Canada, in seeking to remove the public access to and environmental protection of waterways through.

Explain that this is an assault on the rights of Canadians, an assault on the environment, and a very serious breach of public trust.

Our Position: Some Things We're Saying

The Canadian Rivers Network (CRN) is demanding that the federal Government withdraw the proposed amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) that are currently contained in Part 7 of the Budget Implementation Act. This is not a budget issue, and should be treated as a separate piece of legislation and require proper stakeholder consultation.

Any changes to the NWPA must occur in the broader context of a comprehensive reform of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, due to occur in the spring of 2009. Such changes should be informed pursuant to consultation with environmental, paddling, ecotourism, as well as fishing and hunting groups.

If the federal Government decides to pursue these amendments, then the CRN demands that each of the Opposition parties publicly state their position on this issue.

Specifically, the CRN requests confirmation that each Opposition party is opposed to these amendments, and that they would repeal such changes if they were to form the next government.