Federal NDP join fight to protect local river

By Emily Innes, Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin June 7, 2013
A citizen’s group has inspired the federal NDP caucus to launch a campaign to restore protection of the Nottawasaga River.
In April, the NDP began trying to reverse changes to the Navigable Waters Protections Act by starting with the Canadian Heritage Rivers and introducing 10 private members bills.

Since 1882, the Navigable Waters Protection Act was brought in to control any works that could affect the navigation of Canada’s lakes and rivers, until the government replaced the legislation with the Navigation Protection Act in December, 2012.
Less than 2% of the bodies of water in the country are now protected under the new Act.
NDP Environment critic Megan Leslie said she was in search of rivers that Canadians have identified as important to them when she saw the article in the E-B about AWARE Simcoe’s petition requesting Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Denis Lebel, the minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, add the river to the waters listed under the Navigation Protection Act.
“If you are going to get big change you have to have community support,” said Leslie. “(And), folks around this water have already said it’s important.”
She said it inspired a way to try and undo something that was already done.
Leslie says she has the tools to draft and table the bill to restore the level of protection the Nottawasaga River had under the Navigable Waters Protection Act, but she says it will require people to rally behind it, to be educated on the issue and to generate awareness.
“I will be honest, there is a low chance of it passing, but the ones that do pass are the ones where the community is behind it,” she said.
Leslie said the changes were initially proposed by Conservatives were not good for Canadians.
“(My colleagues and I) really pushed what we could in the House to say this would be a disaster,” she said.
Leslie said it is “mind-boggling” that developers could build a dam, a bridge or a pipeline in a lakes or river not included in the act without going through an application process.
“They could block physical access for people who want to use the lakes or rivers for fishing, tourism, for accessing their cottage, accessing them for cultural reasons, or accessing hunting grounds,” she said.
The MP from Halifax says she has a personal connection to the river because her family is from the Georgian Bay area.
“It holds a special place in my heart,” she said.
The river has been designated as an important waterway to remain navigable by 321 people who, as of June 6, had signed AWARE’s petition. Kate Harries, the vice-chair of AWARE Simcoe, said it is encouraging that the petition has had an impact.
“I don’t see why the Conservative Government would object if the people come forward and say it is important,” said Harries, who spearheaded the petition. “I am very encouraged and I think this is a good sign of success (to come).”
Harries said she has been satisfied with the campaign as they have significantly surpassed their goal of 200 signature, which they received in their first week back in March.
AWARE Simcoe still plans to take the petition to municipal governments and groups connected to the river, which runs through Dufferin, Grey and Simcoe counties into Lake Huron, to continue to rally support.
The Protect the Nottawasaga River in the Navigation Protection Act Petition can be signed online. (http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/protect-the-nottawasaga-river-in-the-navigation-protection-act)