An urgent alert from the Canadian Rivers Network:

GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED NWPA AMENDMENTS AND OTHER CHANGES TODAY UNDER ITS BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION ACT

Under the guise of the 2009 Budget Implementation Act, the federal government has introduced amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) that will have serious negative impacts on both the ancient public right of navigation in Canada and on the environment.

The NWPA mandates that, if someone wants to build something in, on, around, under, or over a navigable waterway, an assessment of the impacts on navigation and an environmental assessment need to be done first.

The NWPA was originally enacted in 1882. It is one of Canada’s oldest pieces of legislation, and there is no doubt that it needs to be modernized—however, in the name of “cutting red tape” to speed up the building of infrastructure projects and stimulate the economy, the government is introducing changes that will remove navigable status from thousands of waterways in Canada.

These changes were recommended by a committee that did not consult Canada’s paddling community, the outdoor tourism industry, environmental groups, First Nations communities, anglers and hunters, or anyone who accesses Canadian waterways for business or recreation.

The heritage right of navigation predates confederation, and Canadians consistently rank the environment as one of their top issues of concern.

These changes to the NWPA are simply unacceptable.

There is something you can do—raise your voice! Spread the word, and tell the government you care about Canada’s waterways. For more information and how to take action, please see www.ispeakforrivers.ca.