21st ANNUAL KIPAWA RIVER RALLY IS CANCELLED

The rally is cancelled.

Les amis cannnot associate itself with the unsafe, unpredictable
situation created by the punitive actions of PWGSC. PWGSC has escalated
its actions to suppress whitewater recreation on the kipawa. In 2005 it
reduced water flow, in 2006 it fenced off the sluice, now in 2007 it
plans to restrict all access to the top third of the river.

Over the weekend we discovered that their announced shuttle "does not
exist", the portage trail is blocked off, and unfinished, a fenced in
belvedere has been erected at the end of the incomplete trail.

In light of the reduced access to the top third of the river,
the lack of information forthcoming from PWGSC,
the intransigence of their position on safety,
the potential risk to boaters who might attempt to access the river during a rally sponsored by Les Amis or using the hap hazard shuttle system proposed by PWGSC,
the potential for conflict between rally participants and
security/staff of PWGSC and
Les Amis' lack of control over its members and others inspite of any encouragement by Les amis to obey the "authorities" and
in view of the fact that the actions of PWGSC have basically destroyed any chances for a successful "feel good" 21st rally that
the rally is cancelled.

PWGSC is still referencing the Quebec Dam Safety Act, and the CDA guidelines in their phone messaging. Those messages are false and misleading.

You may be aware that I specifically addressed many of those concerns in my paper to the CDA membership last fall in Quebec city and that in any case the CDA guidelines NEVER prohibited navigation at the Laniel Dam. It was the dam itself that was illegal. PWGSC never complied with the Quebec Dam Safety act and is not subject to those provincial regulations - for example it never filed an Impounded water Management plan.

Last year at the rally boaters ran the sluice unsafely not because the sluice was unsafe but because PWGSC erected a snowfence across the sluice. Safety?

The decision PWGSC is taking is completely arbitary in our view and now with the proposal at hand to put recreational boaters... people into pickup trucks with their gear on a provincial highway while at the same time using safety as the rationale I am left totally flabberghasted.

We now find it impossible to run the 2007 rally at this point. PWGSC have not guaranteed us a water release, PWGSC want our participants in pickup trucks or negotiating what appears to be an unfinished pathway. PWGSC want to shuttle people to a park 3km away and deny them access to the top third of the river, making no provisions for camping.

People now can draw their own conclusions and just how uncooperative PWGSC has been.


Jeff Charlebois

Asset Manager, Bridges & Dams / Gestionnaire des biens, ponts et barrages
NCA Operational Support Services / Services de soutien aux opérations, RCN
Real Property Branch / Direction générale des biens immobiliers

- 265 City Centre Ave., Ottawa, On, K1R 7R7
( Tel: (613) 998-8619 2 Fax: (613) 998-7869
8email: jeff.charlebois@pwgsc.gc.ca