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Born with a Grey Beard: Navigation Rights in Canada today
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, Waterkeeper.ca Weekly
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June 29th, 2009
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“The simple act of dipping one’s paddle into the water and pulling, propelling oneself forward - such is an act that defines ‘Canada’”. This is the message Lake Ontario Waterkeeper presented June 16, 2009 to the 6th annual Canadian River Heritage Conference in Ottawa.
In a paper presented at the conference, Vice President of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper Krystyn Tully examined the process by which the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) was amended, the reasoning behind those changes, and some of the concerns the new act raises.
“The right to navigation predates the NWPA. It finds its roots in some of humanity’s oldest legal traditions, including the Code of Justinian and Magna Carta. Our respect and understanding for the act of navigation has crumbled. In our hurry to ‘modernize’ our laws, our Parliamentarians have laid the groundwork for two-tier environmental protection”.
Important issues surfaced during the amendment process. They offer insight into the future of decision-making in Canada when it comes to environmental protection:
- The amendments to the NWPA were never publicly championed by one, accountable individual
- Changes to the NWPA reflect the interests of one group of stakeholders, but not necessarily the public at large
- The amended NWPA bypassed full consultation with the public, including First Nations
- As federal departments continue to “streamline” their environmental assessment processes, it is unclear how the changes to the NWPA will safeguard environmental assessments for navigation issues in the future
(more…)
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he bureaucrats at City Hall will have to move a heck of a lot faster than they usually do if the city is to meet an important deadline this summer. The grieving relatives of Joshua Venton and Donald Harper are counting on the city to post warning signs at Paterson Park by Aug. 18. A year ago on that date, Joshua and his "Poppy" drowned in the choppy waters of Lake Ontario after... (more)
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Development & Land Use
Kingston and Region
Swim
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A Troy-area compost company faces charges in connection with a wastewater spill that has been the subject of a nine-month investigation by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
The ministry announced Tuesday it has charged Waterdown Garden Supplies Ltd. with violating the Ontario Water Resources Act and the Environmental Protection Act in connection with a spill from a... (more)
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Drink
Fish
Hamilton and Region
Industrial Emissions
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Waterfront revitalization means different things in different places; in Toronto it could well be our last chance to relearn something we forgot 50 years ago – how to build a city.
As Waterfront Toronto CEO John Campbell put it last week at the Toronto Board of Trade, "How do you implement an innovation strategy?"
Good question, and not one we're able to answer quite... (more)
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Development & Land Use
Greater Toronto Region
Swim
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There is an empty seat to fill on the Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection Committee. Eligible candidates interested in representing the industrial/commercial sector and having some knowledge of water taking issues in the region are asked to send in their application by Thursday, September 3, 2009.
The 28-member Committee was formed in November 2007. The group is... (more)
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Drink
Environmental Law
Port Hope, Cobourg, and Region
Water takings
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The Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority is looking for interested members of the public to sit on Watershed Plan Community Advisory Committees. These two committees will assist in the development of the Ganaraska River, Wilmot Creek, Graham Creek, Lovekin Creek, Bouchette Point Creek and Port Granby Creek Watershed Plans. The plans will create a framework to guide the... (more)
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Development & Land Use
Fish
Industrial Emissions
Port Hope, Cobourg, and Region
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New Democrat NP Nathan Cullen accused Ottawa of giving higher priority to the nation's nuclear industry over the safety of Canadians. While Canada is considering hiking the $75 million ceiling for damage in case of a nuclear accident to $650 million, Cullen considers the proposal still not enough.
Cullen said, quoted by the Toronto Star, "The crux of it is how much you can... (more)
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Canada
Nuclear Industry
Other
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Thank you, George Smitherman, for your informed decision to put on hold, indefinitely, the building of new reactors in Ontario.
Canada's CANDU reactors release tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, into our drinking water. Studies show that high levels of tritium exposure can cause health problems, including miscarriages, birth defects, permanent genetic damage and... (more)
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Development & Land Use
Energy & Fossil Fuels
Nuclear Industry
Ontario
Other
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Ontario is now in the dangerous position of having an energy strategy that relies on new nuclear power, without any plan for building nuclear plants.
The Ontario government asked for bids to build a two-unit power plant at Darlington. Three companies -- Westinghouse Electric Co., AREVA Group and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. -- submitted proposals. The province says only... (more)
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Development & Land Use
Energy & Fossil Fuels
Nuclear Industry
Ontario
Other
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There's no need to head all the way to the East Coast to get a taste of that shoreline atmosphere.
Pat Olive, Regional commissioner of economic development and tourism, said all local residents need to do for some East Coast-type hospitality is take a quick trip to Progress Frenchman's Bay East Park in Pickering.
"Why go to Muskoka or the East Coast to kayak?" he said.... (more)
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Durham Region
Swim
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