All about Whitewater: 4/29/07

Read About: Money and The Kipawa River, Whitewater Ontario,Les amis de la rivière Kipawa,The Proposed Tabaret River diversion project, Northern Ontario Liquid Adventurers,Canadian Rivers Network The viewpoints and opinions expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Whitewater Ontario or Les Amis de la Riviere Kipawa. Those groups did not vet these comments and would not likely endorse the views expressed here or the manner in which they have been expressed.

Friday, May 4, 2007

Kipawa: Frequently Asked Questions SECTION

The Kipawa Legal Challenge is a request for a Judicial Review of the Environmental Screening Process conducted by PWGSC for the Refurbishment of the Laniel Dam. What exactly is that Process?

SCOPE OF THE Environmental ASSESSMENT

FEDERAL PROJECT CATEGORIZATION

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (“CEA Agency”) determines if the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Act (“CEAA”) applies to a project, and follows a four-step review process for
environmental studies conducted under its jurisdiction:

Step 1: Does CEAA Apply?

The CEAA requires federal authorities to undertake environmental assessments of projects when they are
proponents or when they are proposing to take one of the following actions that would enable a project to
proceed, in whole or in part, by:

• providing some form of financial assistance to the project
• having the administration of federal lands and selling, leasing, or otherwise disposing of those
lands or any interest in those lands
• issuing a permit, licence, authorization, or other regulatory approval listed in the Law List
Regulations.
Since an application has been made to NRCan for WPPI funding, the proposed Project is subject to the
conditions and requirements of CEAA. Once the applicability of the CEAA has been determined, the next
step is to identify the type of study required.

Step 2: Identification of Study Type

There are two general types of studies identified under CEAA: Self-Directed and Public Review.

The majority of federal projects are assessed through a screening; however, some projects require a
comprehensive study. These projects are described in the Comprehensive Study List Regulation and
tend to be large projects having the potential for significant adverse environmental effects. They may also
generate public concerns. Screening studies are typically undertaken for small-scale projects with minor,
predictable, and mitigable environmental effects, whereas comprehensive studies deal with projects that
have the potential to result in significant environmental effects.

Approximately 95% of the environmental studies conducted under CEAA are screenings. ESP (Environmental Screening Process)

Section 18 (1) of CEAA states that where a project is not described in the Exclusion List Regulation or the
Comprehensive Study List Regulation, the Responsible Authority (“RA”) shall ensure that a screening of
the project is conducted. The proposed Project is not described in either the Exclusion List or
Comprehensive Study List Regulations. Thus, the Project has been assessed as screening study and this
ESR/EIS prepared.

A screening study is a self-directed assessment in which the RA, in conjunction with other Federal
Authorities (“FA”), determines the scope of the study, manages the EA process, and ensures the
proponent prepares an appropriate screening study. For the proposed Project it is possible that the
following agencies will be RAs and thus responsibility may fall to them to ensure that the screening report
is carried out in compliance with the CEAA:

• Natural Resources Canada (“NRCan”)
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (“DFO”)
• Correctional Services Canada
• Transport Canada.

Where more than one RA is involved with a project the RAs may decide if a lead RA should be designated
to coordinate tasks in conducting the EA. If a lead RA is not designated the EA can be managed as a
committee. It is important to note that lead RA is an administrative function; the designation of a lead RA
does not change the legal responsibilities of the various federal authorities under CEAA. The FAs for this
Project may include:
• Environment Canada/Canadian Wildlife Service
• Health Canada
• Transport Canada.

Step 3: RA Determination

The RA’s determination is not whether to proceed with the project, but rather concerns the likelihood of
significant adverse environmental effects. The three determination options available to the RA are:

1. the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects – following this
determination the RA may exercise any power or perform any duty or function that would permit
the project to be carried out in whole or in part
2. the project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects that cannot be justified –
following this determination the RA may not exercise any power or perform any duty or function
that would permit the project to be carried out in whole or in part, or
3. it is uncertain whether the project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, or
the project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects that may be justifiable, or
public concerns warrant referral to a mediator or review panel – following any of these
determinations the RA must refer the project to the federal Minister of the Environment for a
referral to a mediator or review panel.

Step 4: Review and Determination

The decision options for an RA following a review panel or mediation are as follows, the project is:
• not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects or the project is likely to cause
significant adverse environmental effects that can be justified in the circumstances – following this
determination the RA may exercise any power or perform any duty or function that would permit
the project to be carried out in whole or in part, or
• likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects that cannot be justified – following this
determination the RA may not exercise any power or perform a any duty or function that would
permit the project to be carried out in whole or in part.

PROVINCIAL PROJECT CATEGORIZATION

Regulation 116/01 sets out the ESP as a proponent driven, self-assessment process.
The proponent is responsible for
1. determining if the project falls within the ESP and
2. when to formally commence the process.
3. The proponent is also responsible for determining the time required to adequately conduct the
ESP and
4. when to publicly release project documentation and/or solicit comments from stakeholders.

Under Regulation 116/01 new projects are classified into one of three categories:
• Category A: projects that are expected to have minimal potential environmental effects and do not
require approval under the EAA
• Category B: projects that have potential environmental effects that can likely be mitigated, but
require approval under the ESP of the EAA
• Category C: projects that have known potentially significant environmental effects and require the
preparation of an “individual environmental assessment” under the EAA.

There are two possible stages of environmental study required under the ESP depending upon the
potential adverse environmental effects of a project and/or stakeholder issues: “screening” and
“environmental review”.

All projects subject to the ESP are required to go through the screening stage, which requires proponents to apply a series of screening criteria to identify the potential adverse environmental effects of the project.

The more detailed stage, an environmental review, is required if potential concerns raised during the screening stage dictate a need for additional, detailed studies.

Based upon the MOE’s categorization of electricity projects, wind turbines / plants greater than or equal to
2 MW are classified as Category B Projects and thus subject to approval under the ESP of the EAA. This
categorization, coupled with the results of the screening criteria checklist (section 6 and Appendix B),
has led the Project to be assessed as an environmental screening under Regulation 116/01.

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Working within the federal, provincial, and municipal approvals processes, and consistent with the
potential RA’s scope of study and the MOE’s environmental screening criteria checklist, the main
objectives of the ESR will be threefold:

1. to identify, define, and assess the potential effects of the Project on Valued Ecosystem
Components (“VECs”). The VECs identified for study represent environmental features that are
known to occur or have a reasonable probability of occurrence within the study area and which
subsequently could be affected by the Project (e.g., wetlands, avian species, terrestrial flora, etc.).
2. to ensure environmental considerations are explicitly addressed and incorporated into the
planning, design, and decision-making processes
3. considering objectives one and two, to design a project follow-up and monitoring program that
contains plans to prevent, mitigate, and compensate for the potentially adverse environmental
effects of the Project.

STUDY APPROACH

Environmental Assessment is commonly defined as the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating, and
mitigating the environmental effects of a proposed project prior to making irreversible project decisions
and commitments (IAIA, 1999).

In carrying out the ESR the assessment will rely upon a number of
common data collection techniques (e.g., primary and secondary data) and predictive tools (e.g.,
dispersion modelling), all of which considered the following factors:

• Purposive: activities should lead to informed decision-making.
• Rigorous: assessment should apply best practicable science, employing techniques
appropriate to address the issues under investigation.
• Focused: concentrating on key issues and significant environmental effects.
• Practical: process should result in information and outputs that assist with decision-making in
a manner that minimizes time and finance requirements for the proponent.
• Transparent: the process should be easily understood and replicable by project
stakeholders.

How does one get to the Kipawa Campground

From Pembroke:
Hwy 17 west to Mattawa
Turn right to Juntion hwy #63 then right to Temiskaming this shortcut saves driving to North Bay.
Once you cross the bridges follow Hwy #101 north for 40 min.
You will come to the small town of Laniel, this is the put in site.
Camping is available just across the bridge or follow the road North for +- 7km and turn left on the Grande Chutes Road 7km, this will bring you to the take out and Scott Sorenson's.

PS There is one gas station/depannuer(store) in Laniel, stop in and talk to the owners, they own the camping site and will know what is going on.

Our advantage is that we are focused on this one issue but it does encompass the essence of our sport.

The blog covers much of what you've asked about . For back postings you must click on the arrows.

The Kipawa Case: Laniel Dam Refurbishment: Judicial Review -So, we got run over like a speedbump and need to be an 800 lb gorilla to
set/reset the precedent.

YES

Aside from Les Amis are there other local/provincial organizations with
protection/access as their mandate?

SPORADIC CPAWS, SIERRA CLUB, SIERRA LEGAL DEFENSE, FONDATION RIVIERES, ORCA, Canoe Ontario,RIVER KEEPERS, on and on

None truly dedicated

Are they connected?

NO

Talking with AW?

Not recently, problem: membership insurance: makes joint membership at present unaffordable

River access law in Canada:do we have less legal tools than the Americans particularly in Quebec along with the far lower population and density.
What law do we have to work with?

Canadian Environmental Assessment ACT
Canadian environmental Protection ACT
Navigable Waters Protection ACt
Ontario Environmental bill of Rights

In Ontairo MOE an MNR are at loggerheads: one protects the other exploits the environment.

How do you Ship Kayaks: BUS

playboat-shipping experience via Greyhound.

As long as your boat is 7ft long or less you'll be in fine shape. Wrapped/duct-taped some cardboard around it, more because there was some fine-print which said that they were not liable for damage to unpackaged items, so you want it classed as 'packaged' so that if anything did happen to it there would have some form of recourse. There may be limits to insurance, about $400 worth, for about $9. I Shipping from Ottawa to Calgary: all told, just about $40-$50 for shipping, insurance and COD charge if relevant. Time: about 5 days

Vancouver to Guelph in 4 days. just the boat itself, no wrap or bags or any of that stuff. worked perfectly.

Playboat from Ottawa to Canmore, 65$ wrapped in bubbles. Not one was popped! May take a while though, think it was about 5 days late

Peterborough to Lake Louise for $58.00. It arrived in 4 days and was in fine shape. Wrapped it in the manufacturers original shipping material that may be available at a local outfitter for free, 40 lbs. with wrapping

all star shipped from Moncton NB to Kingston, Ontario which took 22 hours.Starting with Acadian Bus Lines then got transferred in Montreal to Coach Canada. This was MUCH less costly than UPS or courier.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Working with the Community of Minden Hills

Is Minden Hills a town that cannot meet it's obligations to constituents? Could staff and council accept more responsibility?

At this time the Minden Hills Township staff has neither the time, money nor the
additional staff to "help" with the Minden Wild Water Preserve. There are many local initiatives underway in the Township which are manned solely by volunteers. Although the Township appreciates WO's concerns for the river they are not in a position to assist with the clean-up or management of the preserve property.

Whitewater Ontario requests council to support a partnership aimed at promotion of the area in general. Like others, the Minden Wildwater Preserve is in need of funding and assistance.

The 25th anniversary is a great reason to build our fortunes at the Preserve. Whitewater Ontario will be communicating that by erecting a sign and donation station.

Whitewater Ontario hopes to erect a donation box on river right.
The request for permission to erect signage and a collection box on the
Horseshoe Lake Road side on the river must be presented to council.

In addition more proactive work will be done along the river right banks. The only way we can put a donation box on that side of the river is if we start right now cleaning and maintaining that bank.

Once Whitewater Ontario has established that it is actually doing something for the folks who use that side of the river, then, in good faith, it should be justified in asking for support in the way of public donations.

For more information

Township of Minden Hills
Cammy George
705-286-1260
705-286-6005 fax

Whitewater Ontario
Peter Karwacki
613-837-2810
kayaky@hotmail.com

Minden Work: Spring Clean UP Task Lists

Minden Whitewater Preserve needs some attention.

We need to get the park in shape for the season.

We'll arrange to meet anybody who can get to the park over the next few weeks and point them at whatever amount of work they are willing to do.

We'll open buildings and locate tools, purchase sundry items required, whatever support is needed I'll try to get it in place.

It looks like we have a group forming up for the 12th and 13th. However there is lots could be done before then so send me your ideas, times and I'll make sure you get your chance to volunteer.

Most important task at hand

Full cleaning of the training center public areas, kitchen, washrooms and main hall / classroom area.

Second

Felling of a handfull of half fallen trees and in connection to that plenty of downed trees need cutting and stacking in or near the firewood shed.

Third priority

General brushing out of trails and roads as well as scrub brush removal also needs to be done.

Fourth

Leaf raking, this is a huge job that will take several people a solid day to get thru. So if you can give an hour or 2 and rake a couple campsites that would be awesome.

Fifth

Redistribution of Picnic Tables one to each site and the rest spread out around the group camp area. Perhaps there are a few needing minor repairs.

Sixth

Get the firepits in order, many are overwhelmed with junk or half burnt logs etc. A pair of gloves and a shovel would go a long way to making firepits more functional and destroying the makeshift firepits would be a great help also.

These are the important things that must be handled before we start the camping season.

It looks as if people are stepping up to get this stuff done and thats a relief, I was concerned we may not be able to open the gates this year.

WO has been without a Property Manager for sometime now and those of us who have other things to do for the organization can't manage all of the parks needs as well as our other commitments.

Your help is not just welcome it is absolutely neccesary if we're gonna have our campground this summer

Minden Wildwater Preserve Work Weekend May 12,13

This is an appeal from Whitewater Ontario.

The Preserve is in need of a serious clean up, dangerous trees,
deadfalls, leaves, picnic tables in all the wrong places etc etc. The
Training Center Building could use a real good clean up inside and out.

There is a huge volume of work required to make the place useful for
the upcoming season.

We will not, in good faith open the gates with the number of downed or
dangerous trees, left as they are.

Naturally we have appealed to the membership to step up and figure out
how to get the place ready to be open for the season that's about to
begin.

We will try to facilitate whatever plans people would like to make.

The May Long weekend is just 3 weeks away - that would be a great time
to help out.

NO CAMPING FEES FOR VOLUNTEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Other inducments are being planned. Food, beverages and comeraderie.

Anyone handy with a chainsaw? services appreciated.

The specific jobs needing done are as follows;

Leaves raked.

Dangerous and downed trees cut and stacked as firewood.

Picnic Tables returned and distributed to sites.

Training Center building needs thorough cleaning.

Roads and lanes need raking and pruning back.

Feel free to contact me with any ideas or plans you may have.

BRING YOUR OWN TOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pete

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

PHIL's Hole: Ottawa River

Quest for Gold Funding: Helping Atheletes Win

As part of the submission for the Quest for Gold Coach grant for ORR, WO committed to contribute toward the travel costs for ORR head coach JiriPsrkavic when supporting Ontario athletes.

We have accordingly budgeted $2,000 for this purpose in this years budget. Last week Jiri traveled to Charlotte North Carolina for the join US/Canada national team trials to coach a number of our athletes and helped Ontario /ORR take 7 (6 boats) of 9 (8 boats) selected to the national senior team.

We are authorizing an allocation of $453.60 from this budget to cover Jiri travel expenses as follows: Jiri's share of van rental and gas ($203.40), his hotel (100.20) meal allowance 5 days @30 as per CKC allowance ($150).

We have budgeted $3,000 for athlete assistance of which we have spent $500 to date.

We are allocating travel assistance in the amount of $100 to each of the non-nationally carded Ontario athletes that attended Senior Team Trials
(Cam Smedley,
Katrina Van Wijk,
Spencer Pomeroy,
Adam Cutts
Jamie Cutts,
Micheal Tayler,
Kathleen Taylor and
Jiri(jr) Prskavec)

a total of $800.

The following athletes were named to the national senior team for the 3 world cup races in Europe this summer and the World Championship in Brazil in Oct

Canadian Team Trials after 3 days. 8 boats are on the Senior National Team:

K1m:
David Ford (Edmonton),
Pierre Levesque (Valleyfield, Que),
John Hastings Ottawa/ORR

K1w:
Sara Potvin-Bernal (Chelsea)/ORR

C1:
James Cartwright (Ottawa/ORR),
Craig Allen Chilliwack),
Spencer Pomeroy (Ottawa)/ORR

C2:
Mike Holroyd/Tom Hewitt (Gatineau)/ORR

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Whitewater Ontario - Mission Statement

It is Whitewater Ontario’s mission to support the whitewater paddling community through the promotion, development and growth of the sport in its various disciplines. We accomplish this through the development of events, resources, clubs, and programs for personal and athletic development, regardless of skill level or focus, to ensure a high standard of safety and competency; We advocate safe and environmentally responsible access and use of Ontario’s rivers. Whitewater Ontario is the sport governing body in the province, and represents provincial interests within the national body Whitewater Canada and the Canadian Canoe Association http://www.whitewaterontario.ca/page/mission.asp

Tabaret is a Bad Idea

About the Kipawa

The best thing paddlers can do to help the cause of the Kipawa:

1. attend the rally and bring others including non paddlers to attend and buy beer and have fun

2. write your MP /MNA and raise the issue and post your objections -1 letter = 200 who didn't write

3. Write Thierry Vandal the CEO of Hydro Quebec strongly opposing the 132 MW standard decrying the use of "diversion" as the most environmentally inappropriate method of power production

4. Write Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec protesting that either the algonquin or the tabaret project will eliminate all other values on the Kipawa River by turning it into a dry gulch.

5. See if you can get other allied groups interested by showing your own interest, ie the Sierra Defense Fund, Earthwild, MEC, and so on.

6. Demand further consultation

7. Currently we are at the point where we need to sway public opinion and raise awareness.

However, if all else fails, don't get mad, simply disrupt, foment, and protest . The Monkey Wrench Gang.

Have you read Edward Abbey?

Important Addresses
CEO,Hydro Québec, 75 boul René Levesque, Montreal, P.Q., H2Z 1A4Caille.andre@hydro.qc.ca

Tabaret is a Bad Idea (Part Two)

Les Amis de la Riviere Kipawa is poised to use an application to the Federal Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus to ensure the Minster does what he is supposed to do, protect the public's right to navigate the water control structure at Laniel, Quebec using the Navigable Waters Protection Act. (see http://www.kipawariver.ca/)

In the now gutted Navigable Waters Protection Act lay the means by which the Minister of Transport could keep the public right of passage down our great Canadian Heritage, our rivers and streams which are threatened especially by resource corporations and power brokers such as Hydro Quebec.

These powerful entities continue to petition that 'this' river or 'that' stream is not navigable and therefore not protectable.
I don't say that dams and bridges should not be built, only that if they are, historical navigation rights should be considered and preserved by making reasonable accommodations for recreational boaters.

It is the Minister of Transport, in exercising the right to allow or disallow work on or over a navigable waterway is what keeps boats and recreational boaters plying our waterways.

To many recent cases launched in the Federal Court concerning the Navigable Waters Protection Act, most recently the case of the Humber Environment Group of Cornerbrook Newfoundland versus the Cornerbrook Pulp and Paper Company indicates that the important oversight is not being faithfully performed. Have we really come to the point now where we must say "such and such a stream is one foot deep, possessing so many cubic feet per second flow and so on?" The answer to this is... YES!

The honourable Mr. Justice John A. O'Keefe, ruled that it had not been shown that the river was navigable. How convenient was that to the Minister? But either the Minister of Transport acts to protect our rivers and streams as a public right or he does not and that means rivers and streams currently enjoyed by kayakers and canoists.

Enough of the cheating, and double-talk. Canadians! our rivers and streams are our own, lets urge the Minister of Transport and the our government to protect them.

Peter Karwacki

Tabaret is a Bad Idea (Part Three)

10 Reasons WhyTabaret is a Bad Idea1) Tabaret is too big. The station is designed to useevery drop of water available in the Kipawawatershed, but will run at only 44 percent capacity.We believe the Tabaret station is designed to usewater diverted from the Dumoine River into theKipawa watershed in the future. 2) The Tabaret project will eliminate the aquaticecosystem of the Kipawa River.The Tabaret project plan involves the diversion of a16-km section of the Kipawa River from its naturalstreambed into a new man-made outflow from LakeKipawa. 3) Tabaret will leave a large industrial footprint on thelandscape that will impact existing tourismoperations and eliminate future tourism potential. 4) The Tabaret project is an aggressive single-purposedevelopment, designed to maximize powergeneration at the expense of all other uses. 5) River-diversion, such as the Tabaret project, takinglarge amounts of water out of a river’s naturalstreambed and moving it to another place, is verydestructive to the natural environment. 6) The Kipawa River has been designated a protectedgreenspace in the region with severe limitations ondevelopment. This designation recognizes theecological, historical and natural heritage value ofthe river and the importance of protecting it.Tabaret will eliminate that value. 7) If necessary, there are other, smarter and morereasonable options for producing hydro power onthe Kipawa watershed. It is possible to build a lowimpactgenerating station on the Kipawa river, andmanage it as a “run-of-the-river” station, makinguse of natural flows while maintaining other values,with minimal impact on the environment. 8) The Kipawa watershed is a rich natural resource forthe Temiscaming Region, resonably close to largeurban areas, with huge untapped potential fortourism and recreation development in the future.Tabaret will severely reduce this potential. 9) Tabaret provides zero long-term economic benefitfor the region through employment. The plan is forthe station to be completely automated andremotely operated. 10) The Kipawa River is 12,000 years old. The riverwas here thousands of years before any peoplecame to the region. The Tabaret project will change all that.

Problems on a local River?

There is more to do as well but you have to do your research and above all, don't give up.
IN the meantime prepared a document itemizing the history of navigation of this spot and its recreational value. Use the Kipawa river history of navigation as a guide: see www.kipawariver.ca
Under the Ministry of Environment guidelines you have a set period of time to petition the change under the environmental bill of rights, you may have limited time to take this action. But it involves going to court for a judicial review of the decision.
4. contact the ministry of natural resources officials and do the same thing.
3. contact the ministry of the environment and determine if they approved the project
2. determine if the dam was a legal dam, approved under the navigable waters protection act.
1. research the decision and timing of it to determine if an environmental assessment was done.

Kipawa River Issues

What was at stake - what happened :

The Court did not accept that the public right of navigation is a paramount right and that property owners should not exercise their rights in such a way as to interfere with the rights of navigation wherever possible;

The Court did not accept the de facto history and uncontradicted evidence that the old dam did not completely obstruct navigation by canoe, raft and kayak
and it is technically impossible to have a structure that serves the object of flood control but doesn't deny navigation;

The Court disagreed that negatively impacting marine navigation is a significant environmental effect
and the Court disagreed that CEAA requires that the government apply precautionary principles to development so as to minimize or avoid significant environmental effects such as the loss of marine navigation;

and

the Court disagreed that PWGSC started with the incorrect and immutable starting assumption that navigation is unsafe and illegal and that holding such a position caused it to be hostile to a stakeholder and minimize a stakeholder's views from the outset, that is in direct conflict with its statutory obligations and duties.

It was ruled by virture of the court decision that PWGSC started with correct assumptions from the very outset thereby causing it to view Les Amis as a mere nuisance and rendering the process a farce where only one conclusion was possible.

The Court agreed there was a public consultation in the sense of dialogue or exchange, through a series of decrees or edicts.

What PWGSC says was a consultation, Les Amis says was a sham and a farce.

The Court agreed with PWGSC.

How to become an Environmental Activist

How to be an Activist

There is no formal school for activists. No university degree qualifies the graduate to practice grassroots organizing. Environmental activists, like many other practitioners of social change, come in all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life, and even from all political parties. And all of us learn from experience. On the other hand, we should be able to benefit from the experience of others. Unfortunately, more often than not, people suddenly find themselves in a situation that requires a certain moral heroism. They had not planned to become activists. Environmental problems themselves create activists. When a toxic landfill threatens the neighborhood, local lawyers may volunteer to do some legal work, scientists may offer volunteer help and the community of concerned parents suddenly find themselves wondering how to write a press release, circulate petitions, and, even conduct a sit-in in a politician’s office. By the time they are in the thick of a campaign, it is hard to know where to turn for help and advice. The reality of ordinary people picking up the gauntlet and becoming politically active is largely unknown to the as-yet uninitiated public. By the time the small neighbourhood citizens group gets its issue before the public, its members are already being labeled as “environmentalists”. From that point on, their true identity is lost as surely as Clark Kent’s when he emerges as Superman.

The media labeling process does society a disservice. It cuts off “activists” and “environmentalists” from “normal” people. The general public, as demonstrated by numerous polls, supports the principles of environmental protection and restoration, but usually they believe it is for some other category of people, called “environmentalists”, to do the work they support.

When an environmental group is described as a “special interest” group, there is a blurring between those who protect “special” interests, usually of a financial nature, and those who work on a volunteer basis, usually at personal sacrifice and expense, to pursue a cause in the public good. The reality of activism, for the environment or any other cause, is that democracy is at work. Citizens are exercising democratic rights. Rather than being the exception to the rule, for democracy to thrive, all citizens should be activists.

A Few Good Starting Points Recognizing that environmental activism is a democratic right, it is important to have a few good starting points to encourage the neophyte.
Refuse to be intimidated.
If you are told that a subject is too technical or scientific for you to understand, don’t believe it. Elected politicians make these decisions all the time based on general knowledge and their sense of public opinion. The claim of “expert” versus average concerned citizen is inherently anti- democratic and elitist. You may not be an expert. But you can read and understand what experts have to say.
Make a note of good quotes (including the source) of expert views concerned with the environment.
Start your own card file of references to unleash if someone tries to suggest you don’t know enough to be involved.
Be creative!
Every campaign and issue has its own dynamic. Let your creative juices flow. Maybe satire will work for you. Maybe song. Even conventional campaigns can attract more people if you have an optimistic, innovative approach. Don’t take no for an answer.
If you want to meet an elected official, call every day. Drop by the office and get to know the staff. Be persistent.The squeaky wheel.
Ask lots of questions. Get to the bottom of issues. Do your homework. Use the telephone. It is a great research tool. Ten times better than writing and asking for information is phoning until you find the person who knows the answer and will immediately send you information. In addition to getting what you want, you may have uncovered a good source for future information - and maybe even an ally in the bureaucracy.
Be unfailingly polite. Being persistent is not the same thing as being rude. You may be in this for the long haul, so don’t burn any bridges.

Leave no stone unturned. Think about who knows who. How can you expand your network? Your allies may come from unexpected places, so do not make assumptions. Ask people for help.
When someone in government does something good for the environment, be sure to give public credit and thanks. You can accomplish anything, if you don’t care who gets the credit. Remember that politics is also personal.
Watch out for burn- out. You’ll need the support of friends and family. Build love into your campaigns. Some Starting Points In local organizing, one of the first things you’ll probably want to do is form a group.
Don’t re-invent the wheel. Look around. Is there an existing group, with goals similar to your own, that would accept your group as a working committee, or affiliated chapter? If you can avoid going through the incorporation process and the charitable number ordeal by joining an existing group (and co-opting them to your issue in the process), why not try? If you are organizing your own group, try not to get bogged down in by-laws.

Stick to the essentials. If you want to change a decision at City Council in three months, you won’t have time for Robert’s Rules of Order. In order not to lose momentum, and volunteers, make the meetings fun by including some social activity.
Plan a pot luck supper first and then work through the agenda efficiently. Folk singer and environmental activist Pete Seeger organized a very successful campaign to clean up the Hudson River. He advised,

“Don’t have meetings that only attract the kind of people who like going to meetings.” Be sure to assign tasks as you make decisions. If someone suggests something new, don’t reject it just because everyone who is heavily involved is already too busy. Say “What a great idea! Will you take that on?”
Delegate! Pick achievable goals. Positive reinforcement is important. So deciding to make your goal “achieving world peace” or “ending hunger” will likely result in burn-out and disillusionment. On the other hand, making your goal to get 10,000 names on a petition to do either of the above is do-able and will have a positive reinforcing impact - you’ll gain strength and enthusiasm for the next goal. How to get your message in the news media

It is a fact of life that environmental groups don’t have money. Some projects may qualify for government grants, but they are usually the “safe” kind. Planting trees. Picking up litter. While such projects are undoubtedly worthwhile, they are not going to change the world. Trying to reduce dependency on environmentally damaging and non-sustainable energy sources (like fossil fuels, large scale hydro and nuclear power) fundamentally challenges the status quo. So does trying to end the use of toxic pesticides for cosmetic purposes. If you are working on issues like these, it is hard to obtain the kind of money it takes to gain public (and political) attention through advertising. The mainstay of your information and awareness campaign is going to be the news media. Hence, the environmental movement and the news media have an awkward and symbiotic relationship: they need us for stories, and the environmental movement certainly needs them. But environmentalists get frustrated with the superficiality of news coverage of issues that threaten planetary survival, and the news media get sick of hearing what they often regard as predictable whining from the greens. So how can you, with little or no media experience, be expected to break through to reasonably accurate coverage of your concerns? First, you should understand a few things about the news media.. Noam Chomsky’s analysis (“Manufacturing Consent”) notwithstanding, you can get your issue in the public eye. It helps if you are able to see the story from the reporter’s point of view. There are very few newspapers or electronic networks with a full time environmental reporter. You are trying to get a reporter, who has to cover everything from tax hikes to crime on the street, interested in your story. There are no Woodwards and Bernsteins. Calling and telling them there’s a big story out there if they do some really good investigative reporting will get your message consigned to the waste basket, (or, in an environmentally aware newsroom, the recycling bin.) If you want a reporter to cover your story, you have to do all their work for them. Think it through. Where’s the angle? “A local group of environmentalists are organizing to save the environment” is hardly an earth shattering story. Remember the old adage, “Dog bites man” is not a story. “Man bites dog” is.
Tie your issue to other political events, like elections or previous campaign promises. What are the financial issues? Is taxpayers’ money being wasted? Are jobs being lost? Are the environmental alternatives better for the economy? (They usually are.) Make it interesting to someone who doesn’t give a hydro-electric dam. Fill in the “5 W’s” : Who, What, When, Where and Why. Make sure all your facts are absolutely accurate. Write your own press release. It should read like a news story, not like your group’s manifesto. Put in quotes from group representatives. Be sure to include phone numbers so that reporters can call you to get more details and re-work your press release into their own story.
SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE (Your logo appears here) Group’s mailing address Headline in Boldface Appears at Top DATE: Put the date on which you want the story to be released, or put the words "For immediate release:" at the beginning of your release. TEXT: The first sentence should be clear, factual and grab the attention of the reader. It should tell the press what the story is about. TEXT EXAMPLE: (City): Citizens Organized to Save Wetlands today announced the results of their audit of the costs of the proposed Department of Boondoggles development. “By our calculations, reviewed by the firm of Somebody Credible Ltd., the Department of Boondoggles will be increasing the provincial deficit by $300 million by choosing this environmentally sensitive site, instead of merely recycling their existing building,” said group chair, J. Q. Public. Citizens Organized to Save Wetlands are considering legal action if their current petition campaign is unsuccessful in persuading the Department to re-consider its plans. They are also planning a demonstration in front of Department headquarters to take place next Wednesday, the xth of xx, at 12 noon. “We are confident that good sense will prevail,” said group researcher I. M. Green, “With the provincial election in the offing, and so many environmentally concerned statements coming from the Premier’s Office, we simply cannot believe that this deliberately wrong-headed policy will prevail. - 30 - (It is a convention of news releases that they end with “- 30 -”. It tells reporters that the text has ended.) Contact information: (Don’t forget to include the name and phone number where people quoted in the release can be reached for comment.) Send your release to ensure it reaches the media before or on your release date. If you are far from a media centre, you can fax your release, or phone it in to the closest office of the Canadian Press (CP). CP is a wire service. If it puts your story on their service, it will automatically reach television, radio and newspaper newsrooms. It is then the decision of the news director in each outlet whether to use your story. I used to send releases from a town of 45 people in Cape Breton Island down to CP in Halifax, phoning it in right before I went to sleep to get low phone rates. I can remember how astonishing it was to wake up in the morning and hear my release on the radio. Beyond press releases, you may want to hold a press conference. Don’t do it unless you have a really good story, or can bring in an acknowledged expert who won’t be available as a matter of course. Hold press conferences somewhere familiar to the media. Make it convenient. Try to avoid having to spend money to rent space. Is there a good community centre close to the downtown? Can you get the help of someone in City Council to use City Hall or the Regional Government Centre? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A SHOPPING LIST OF CAMPAIGN TACTICS
The following are tried and true. It is a good idea to try something fairly straightforward initially, with minimum risk of failure. 1) Letter writing campaigns Politicians really do pay attention to their mail! Especially the volume of mail. As letters mount up on an issue, it will achieve greater importance. At the national level, one letter is considered to represent thousands of people’s opinions. The ratio declines as you move down the government hierarchy, but at the municipal level, fewer people write, so the letters still have clout. Your letter does not have to be typed. Handwriting is fine. So is word processing.
The key is that your letter is original and not recognizable as a pre-printed message.
ALWAYS SIGN YOUR LETTERS.
Include your address for their response. Your letter does not have to be technical. You do not have to know everything about an issue to write and express your opinion. It does have to be clear. State explicitly what you want the politician to do. Include a specific question requesting his or her response. If the response misses the point or is inadequate, write again. Remember, at the level of federal and provincial ministers, a staff person in the bureaucracy writes the response. The minister may not even see your letter. Why persist? Because as the number of letters add up, the issue is given greater importance. Sometimes you are even able to educate the bureaucracy, or alert the minister to the fact that the staff has him or her signing inaccurate letters. (My brother in Nova Scotia actually called a Minister at home once to say that he didn’t want to attack the Minister in the press over a particularly lame response to a letter. He gave the Minister a chance by asking him if he knew that the letter prepared by his bureaucrats included misleading information. The Minister didn’t know and was grateful for the call.)

2) Letters to the Editor Did you know that the letters section is the most read section of any newspaper? Not only do people in your community read the letters, government officials have clipping services that reprint the ones dealing with their area. The federal minister of the environment sees clippings from coast to coast, including letters to the editor, every day. Letters should be short, direct and well written. Of course, they should be accurate and educate readers about your issue. Watch for opportunities to respond to articles that have been in the paper.
3) Call-in radio & tv shows There are opportunities for free access to the airwaves. Listen to a show a few times before you call in. Get a sense of the host so you won’t be surprised if they disagree with you. It is easy, anonymous and can get your message to lots of people.
4) Petition campaigns The U.S. Declaration of Independence was sort-of a petition. Less than fifty people signed it and the rest is history. Petitions are an excellent first step for new groups. They are tools for public education. The preamble should set out clearly what the issue is and all the reasons for your concern. (Remember the “WHEREAS’s!) They also force you to know clearly what you want from the government. If you want the municipal council to ban pesticide spraying on all public and private lands, say so. If you want them to maintain a handful of pesticide-free parks, say so. But don’t leave a petition hanging with just a general, “we are against pesticides” statement. Petitions can be circulated door to door, left with sympathetic local merchants, or you can set up a table in the local mall (although this usually has to be arranged fairly far ahead.) If you are trying to solicit support in a public venue like a mall, don’t be shy! Smile and ask people as they come by if they are interested in the environment. If they avert their eyes and walk away, so be it. Leave them alone and KEEP SMILING!
Set a goal.
Know when you are done and make a big deal out of presenting the petition.
Get a sympathetic politician to accept it from you and alert the media.
5) Fundraising Wait a minute. Isn’t this a shopping list of campaign tools? Well, yes. But good grassroots fundraising is not only a way of raising money, it is a way of raising awareness. (And it also deals with that unspoken question of the uninitiated public, “where do those people get their donations?”) Grassroots fundraising should involve lots of people as volunteers. Try to get local donations of supplies, advertising, prizes or whatever from local merchants (and of course give them public credit and thanks). What kinds of things are grassroots fundraisers? Here’s a sample list. But it’s not exhaustive. You can build on these ideas, but better still, come up with your own. Potluck suppers with an entrance fee. Fun. Great food. Cheap and you’ll have something for the campaign pot when the dishes are done. Bake sales. You can get lots of people involved. Hold it at the local mall, or after church. Raffles. Go for donated prizes or make your own. In Cape Breton we raised thousands of dollars with quilt raffles to stop the spraying of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. Hold a community fair! Have clowns. Kids’ events. Sell baked goods, homegrown organic veggies, preserves, handcrafts. Include an auction. Ask a local bar if you can have an evening of entertainment for a cause. This will appeal to lots of young people. Musicians are notoriously generous in their support of environmental causes. God bless them. Hold an auction. It could be an art auction. Or hold a flea market of odd junk items. Donate services — a deluxe brunch in someone’s home, or catered to your place, a sailboat outing, babysitting, carpentry, barter for cash for the cause! Hold a massive yard sale. Recycle all your stuff and raise funds. Sometimes in our community environmental struggles in Cape Breton, I was convinced we just kept selling our old plates and hand-me-downs to each other. But it worked. Hold a church supper. Church halls can be rented for not too much, and they are perfect. Big kitchens, well equipped for a crowd and they feel great for community events. Order t-shirts or mugs with your message. Sell them at all your events. You can order great posters from a lot of environmental groups, as well as calendars, t-shirts, postcards and other merchandise. Contact Sierra Club or Western Canada Wilderness for great items. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to lobby Whether you’re working to change a policy at City Hall or the federal cabinet, you’ll probably want to sit down and meet with a few of the people who’ll be making that decision. The approach is the same, regardless of how elevated the politician or bureaucrat is. (and, yes, you do have to lobby bureaucrats). As recommended in the “Starting Points” at the beginning of this document: Be unfailingly polite, persistent, network, leave no stone unturned. Experienced fundraisers say you can reach anyone in the world with only two phone calls. Considering that a radio station in Montreal got through to the Queen of England, who can doubt this is true?! So remember, you may not know the Minister or Mayor now, but there is no reason you can’t get to know them. Don’t be intimidated. Once you have a thorough knowledge of your issue and have done your homework, there’s no reason you can’t go to meet key people and put forward your case in person. Preparing for the meeting It is an excellent idea to reduce your key points to a one-page document you can leave with the decision-maker. It’s always easier to write a long document than a short concise one, but the effort to boil down your case is well worth it. Busy people (and the more powerful they are, the busier they are) will never read more than a page. Think through ahead of time what it is you want the decision-maker to do. I know of environmentalists who’ve gone to see very powerful politicians, laid out their case, and prepared for questions on the merits of their argument, only to be completely unprepared for the person agreeing with them and asking the obvious question: “What do you want me to do about this?” If the person you’re seeing is in Cabinet, for example, but not the Minister who actually makes the decision, think through exactly what you want. What is the most strategic thing this person can do to advance your case? Is it to speak quietly to someone, to issue a public statement or to introduce you to someone else so you can explain the issue to them? Your one page note should end with a very specific request. You should also prepare for the personal side of the visit. If nothing else, you will have advanced your cause if the politician is left with a favourable impression - if you’ve started the process of building a relationship. So, do a little research about the person you’ll be meeting. When was she elected to government? Where did he go to university? If hunting and fishing are known to be favourite past-times, build on that to create environmental awareness. Ideally, you’ll find you know someone in common, or that you’ve gone to the same school, or that she was in school with your dad. Be especially sure to research any previous good deeds for the environment. The best way to start any meeting is to thank the politician for something they accomplished in the past. Even if it was twenty years ago, they’ll feel great to know someone still remembers. And you’ll have them remembering that these issues are (or were) important to them. Don’t ignore the small talk. It may be the best part of your meeting. If you are going as part of a group, think through how many of you should go. As a general rule, it is a poor idea to have more than three or four people go in to meet with politicians. It is increasingly intimidating for them, and unwieldy as the meeting size grows.
Be strategic.
If possible do not go to a meeting in a group larger than two or three. Be sure to tell the scheduling person you are dealing with the size of your delegation and the names of the people coming with you. Plan ahead who will cover which points. The Meeting Dressing for the meeting is unfortunately something that should be mentioned. Although there is no question that your value as an individual has nothing to do with how you look, you’ll be more likely to reach a decision-maker if you are dressed in a way to which they are accustomed. Business suits go over better than jeans and sandals. I only wear make-up for media and lobbying. I call it war paint. (As my sister-in-law says, “A girl’s gotta do, what a girl’s gotta do.”) If you haven’t had time to research this person’s background, you can still look for clues around their office. Diplomas, photos, plaques. Find some way to have a more personal chat at some point in the meeting. Most people love talking about themselves. It puts them at ease. A nervous and impatient person is not easy to influence. And, of course, you may find something that creates some common denominators in your lives. Many people have a one dimensional image of environmentalists. Somehow they don’t think we have real lives, children, jobs, other interests. Breaking down the stereotypes is a significant part of your task. Once you’ve had a bit of small talk, move quickly into the main agenda. Be courteous. Show an awareness that this person is probably very busy. Ask at the outset how much time the person has until their next appointment, bearing in mind that meetings often start late and keep backing up. Do not take up more time than has been allotted. Present your case clearly and calmly. Give the decision maker your one-page note so they can follow along. Provide any more detailed papers you would like to leave as well. If your issue has a visual element, bring photos. Be sure to ask if the person has any questions. If you don’t know the answer to something, don’t bluff! Make a note and promise to get the information. And, then, remember to get it and send it to the decision- maker quickly, the next day if possible. Remember to ask clearly for what you want. And thank them, first, verbally, and then after with a thank you letter which reminds them graciously of any follow-up they offered to do. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Politicians are still just people. They are mostly honest, mostly over-worked, and often wrong. If you can help them to do the right thing, why not try? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Sierra Club of Canada is dedicated to developing a diverse, well-trained grassroots network working to protect the integrity of our global ecosystems. In pursuit of this goal, the Sierra Club of Canada holds Activist Training Workshops. If you or your local group would like to attend or arrange such a workshop, contact the National Office.

For more information please contact: Sierra Club of Canada National Office Tel: (613) 241-4611 Fax: (613) 241-2292 e-mail: info@sierraclub.ca web: www.sierraclub.ca_________________

Working hard to safeguard paddling assets for all Canadians

Working Hard to Safeguard Paddling Assets for All Canadians