Last week I wrote about the release of the Senate's report on the Navigable Waters Protection Act, a piece of legislation that is undergoing changes that could seriously impact the way we enjoy our lakes, rivers and oceans.

 

The proposed amendments to the NWPA, which were couched in the 2009 Federal Budget Bill, would allow the government to fast-track construction projects on certain navigable waterways without conducting environmental assessments, and without consulting affected parties, like paddlers, hunters & anglers, and First Nations.

 

Back in late February and March, when the Budget bill was introduced, paddlers, conservation groups, and other concerned citizens expressed their dismay at these proposed changes, which would effectively cut them out of the decision-making process entirely.

 

Good news came down from Ottawa last week, however, when the Senate released a report on the government's proposed NWPA amendments. The report includes two key recommendations that defend the public's claim on Canadian waterways.

 

Most importantly, the Senate recommended that the government develop actual regulations to govern construction on navigable waterways. The recent amendments to the NWPA put the powers of approval entirely in the hands of the Transportation Ministry, whose decisions were not accountable either to the public or to any legislation. Developing regulations will take some of the power out of the Ministry's hands, and put it back in the hands of Canadians.

 

Second, the Senate called upon Transport Canada to create an effective communication strategy and public consultation process. That would mean that the government would have to consult all major stakeholders – First Nations, environmentalists, hunters/anglers and paddling groups – before making any future changes to the Act.

 

Taken together, these recommendations would bring Canadians back to the table to discuss how we want our waterways used, and what measures we want taken to protect them.

 

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society has expressed their "enthusiastic support" for these recommendations:

The Senate Committee may not have gone quite as far as it could have in protecting Canadian navigation rights and waterways, but I'm inclined to think they did pretty well, all things considered. It will be interesting to see how the government responds to the Senate's recommendations – the future of our waterways is once again in their hands.