Letters Out Required

URGENT CALL FOR ACTION
FROM THE CANADIAN RIVERS NETWORK

The timing of this request is CRITICAL. The Transport and Finance commttees are looking at the Budge Implementation Act right now. We understand a decision may come as early as next week.

We need urge members of parliament to sever the proposed amendments to the Navigable
Waters Protection Act from Bill C-10, the Budget Implementation Act, so that a proper
public consultation can be done on the NWPA changes.

Even if you have already written to your MP and others, PLEASE SEND THE MESSAGE BELOW.

Copy and past the body of the message into an email. Enter the date at the top, and your name town and province or territory at the bottom and send it to the following email addresses.

TweedM@parl.gc.ca, Volpe.J@parl.gc.ca, LafraM@parl.gc.ca, Bevington.D@parl.gc.ca,
Brown.L@parl.gc.ca, Dhaliwal.S@parl.gc.ca, Gaudet.Ro@parl.gc.ca, Hoeppner.C@parl.gc.ca, Jean.B@parl.gc.ca, Kennedy.G@parl.gc.ca, MayesC@parl.gc.ca, WatsoJ@parl.gc.ca, tran@parl.gc.ca, Rajotte.J@parl.gc.ca, Laforest.J@parl.gc.ca, Pacetti.M@parl.gc.ca, Bernier.M@parl.gc.ca, Carrier.R@parl.gc.ca, Dechert.B@parl.gc.ca, Kramp.D@parl.gc.ca, McCallum.J@parl.gc.ca, McKay.J@parl.gc.ca, Menzies.T@parl.gc.ca, Mulcair.T@parl.gc.ca, Wallace.M@parl.gc.ca, Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca, Trudeau.J@parl.gc.ca, McGuinty.D@parl.gc.ca,
Scarpaleggia.F@parl.gc.ca, mitchg@sen.parl.gc.ca, Regan.G@parl.gc.ca, Tonks.A@parl.gc.ca, Rae.B@parl.gc.ca, Brison.S@parl.gc.ca



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MESSAGE TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS
____________________________________

DATE:

TO: The elected members of the parliamentary committee for Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, and the Finance Committee.


I am writing to you as a Canadian citizen who has grave concerns about the proposed
amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act and the impact of those changes on:

• the historic public right to navigate our waterways
• our ability to protect our natural environment
• access to waterways for recreation and for commercial tourism

I am also compelled to express very serious concerns about the complete lack of public consultation on these proposed amendments to the NWPA.

The public right of navigation pre-dates Confederation. It is a part of our history and our heritage. It also needs to be part of our future.

When we protect public access to waterways in Canada, we are also protecting the natural environment of those waterways.

We understand that it is important to initiate infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy. But we should not use that as an opportunity to de-construct safeguards put in place to protect Canada’s environment.

Navigation is entirely in the federal jurisdiction. There are no laws or regulations,
other than the NWPA, in place to protect the public right of navigation in Canada. The provinces have no jurisdiction over navigation and no ability to protect navigable waters.

Millions of Canadians access our waterways for recreation. Outdoor tourism around
waterways generates many millions of dollars every year. In many parts of the country the outdoor tourism industry is a critical part of local and regional economies.

I urge you to find the courage to step away from the perilous path that you are on and do the following:

Sever the proposed amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act from C-10, the Budget Implementation Act.

If indeed there are administrative inefficiencies within the NWPA that need to be
corrected, then by all means, let us come together as Canadians and fix those
inefficiencies. But let us to that through broad public consultation and meaningful
consideration of the heritage right of public navigation. It is the Canadian thing to do.

YOUR NAME
TOWN/CITY
PROVINCE/TERRITORY

____________________________________

END MESSAGE
____________________________________


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Canadian Rivers Network
www.ispeakforcanadianrivers.ca