Take Action

E-mail Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Senators Joseph A. Day and Larry W. Campbell, and urge them to reverse the amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) passed in Bill C-10, the Budget Implementation Act, and to drop plans to introduce a weak new Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA).  
Living Oceans Society believes that the changes made to the NWPA will have serious impacts on the historic public right to navigate our waterways, our ability to protect our natural environment, the deregulation of protection of navigable waters and the reduction of public transparency and accountability.

When we protect public access to waterways in Canada, we are also protecting the natural environment of those waterways. Tell the government that protecting our oceans and rivers, and the rights of the public must not be compromised in the pursuit of short term economic stimulus.

The Navigable Waters Protection Act works subtly where environment is concerned. CLICK HERE for more information about how the amendments will allow developers to bypass the automatic requirement for an environmental assessment.

Of even greater concern are the government’s plans to replace the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act with a vastly weaker new law. The government should not undermine the review process of the CEAA but rather allow Parliament to conduct the planned review scheduled for 2010.
 Fill out this form to send an e-mail to the Prime Minister and Senators Day and Campbell with the message below (follow the orange arrows).

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YOUR MESSAGE:

Dear Prime Minister Harper and Senators Day and Campbell:

I am writing to you as a Canadian citizen who has serious concerns about the amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) and the consequences for marine travel and ocean conservation. Therefore, I am urging you to reverse the amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act in section 7 of Bill C-10, the Budget Implementation Act. I also urge you to let the planned review of the current Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) proceed and drop any plans to introduce a new bill.

The changes to the NWPA will have serious impacts on the historic public right to navigate our waterways, our ability to protect our natural environment, the deregulation of protection of navigable waters and the reduction of public transparency and accountability.

We understand the current economic crisis requires urgent action, but our prosperity depends on the health of our environment. When we protect public access to waterways in Canada, we are also protecting the natural environment of those waterways. The protection of our oceans and rivers and the rights of the public must not be compromised in the pursuit of short term economic stimulus.

The NWPA is essential federal legislation. There are clearly administrative inefficiencies within the NWPA that need to be corrected, but the Budget Implementation Act is not the appropriate way or means to make those changes. Canadians want careful consideration of changes to the NWPA with broad public consultation and meaningful consideration of the heritage right of public navigation. I am urging you to reverse the changes to the NWPA made in Bill C-10 and initiate a process to determine what changes are necessary to both protect the health of our oceans and rivers and address the administrative inefficiencies. At the same time, I am urging you to allow parliament to conduct the planned review of CEAA in 2010.

Sincerely,