"Boiling Point" delivered to 42 MPs - water protection

[Oscar]

17 chapters to deliver 'Boiling Point' to 42 MPs in lead-up Trudeau's decision on water protection

[ https://canadians.org/blog/17-chapters- ... protection ]

May 19, 2017 - 2:37 pm

(PHOTO: Maude Barlow discusses her book 'Boiling Point' with David Suzuki at a public forum in Vancouver, September 29, 2016.)

Seventeen Council of Canadians chapters will hand-deliver copies of Maude Barlow's book "Boiling Point: Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse, and Canada’s Water Crisis" to their Member of Parliament before the Trudeau government makes its decision on the Navigation Protection Act on or before July 21.

Vancouver-based water campaigner Emma Lui says, "To put pressure on the Trudeau government, we want to organize a mass delivery of copies of Maude’s book Boiling Point to Members of Parliament, highlighting the importance and threats to water and call for water protections to be restored."

So far, the chapters committed to doing this are:

Atlantic - Moncton, Prince Edward Island
Ontario-Quebec- Halton, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Montreal, South Niagara, Northumberland, Peterborough-Kawarthas, Sudbury, Windsor
Prairies-NWT - Brandon-Westman, Regina
Pacific - Cowichan Valley, Kelowna, Mission, Powell River

In her book, Barlow highlights our demand for the restoration and enhancement of the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

In 2012, Stephen Harper's Conservative government decimated the Navigable Waters Protection Act by removing federal oversight on pipelines and power lines from it and by reducing its scope to just 159 lakes and rivers, leaving more than 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers without federal scrutiny.

During the October 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau criticized the Harper government's "elimination of the Navigable Waters Protection Act" and specifically promised to "review these changes, restore lost protections, and incorporate more modern safeguards".

On March 23, the Liberal-dominated Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities made their recommendations on the Act - which clearly fail to restore lost protections or incorporate more modern safeguards.

Rather than extending protections to all lakes and rivers, it recommends: "That the government maintain the Schedule but rapidly improve the process of adding waterways to the Schedule by making it easily accessible, easy to use and transparent and that a public awareness campaign be put in place to inform stakeholders of the process." Furthermore, the committee weakly recommends, "That the government require that Transport Canada provide reasons why a waterway is or is not added to the schedule."

Barlow comments, "This was an opportunity for the committee and the Trudeau government to show leadership on water protection, and it is deeply disappointing that they have failed to do so. Freshwater protections are crucial to upholding the human right to water. Without protections for all lakes and rivers, Trudeau’s election promises ring hollow.”

Trudeau has until July 21 to respond to the committee's recommendations.

It is our hope that getting Boiling Point into the hands of MPs will mean a more informed decision, one that protects lakes and rivers in Canada.

To assist in this effort, please send Trudeau and Transport Minister Marc Garneau a message via this online action alert Tell Trudeau to keep his water protection promises. Let’s protect every lake and every river! [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=52987 ]


Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

[Oscar]

22 chapters to deliver 'Boiling Point' to 49 MPs in lead-up Trudeau's decision on water protection

[ https://canadians.org/blog/22-chapters- ... protection ]

May 24, 2017 - 2:11 pm

Twenty-two chapters will hand-deliver copies of Maude Barlow's book "Boiling Point: Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse, and Canada’s Water Crisis" to their Member of Parliament before the Trudeau government makes its decision on the Navigation Protection Act on or before July 21.

Vancouver-based water campaigner Emma Lui says, "To put pressure on the Trudeau government, we want to organize a mass delivery of copies of Maude’s book Boiling Point to Members of Parliament, highlighting the importance and threats to water and call for water protections to be restored."

So far, the chapters committed to doing this are:

Pacific -- Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Kelowna, Mid Island, Mission, Powell River, Vancouver
Prairies-NWT -- Brandon-Westman, Regina
Ontario-Quebec -- Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Montreal, South Niagara, Northumberland, Peterborough-Kawarthas, Sudbury, Windsor
Atlantic -- Moncton, Prince Edward Island, South Shore

In her book, Barlow highlights our demand for the restoration and enhancement of the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

In 2012, Stephen Harper's Conservative government decimated the Navigable Waters Protection Act by removing federal oversight on pipelines and power lines from it and by reducing its scope to just 159 lakes and rivers, leaving more than 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers without federal scrutiny.

During the October 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau criticized the Harper government's "elimination of the Navigable Waters Protection Act" and specifically promised to "review these changes, restore lost protections, and incorporate more modern safeguards".

On March 23, the Liberal-dominated Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities made their recommendations on the Act - which clearly fail to restore lost protections or incorporate more modern safeguards.

Rather than extending protections to all lakes and rivers, it recommends: "That the government maintain the Schedule but rapidly improve the process of adding waterways to the Schedule by making it easily accessible, easy to use and transparent and that a public awareness campaign be put in place to inform stakeholders of the process." Furthermore, the committee weakly recommends, "That the government require that Transport Canada provide reasons why a waterway is or is not added to the schedule."

Barlow comments, "This was an opportunity for the committee and the Trudeau government to show leadership on water protection, and it is deeply disappointing that they have failed to do so. Freshwater protections are crucial to upholding the human right to water. Without protections for all lakes and rivers, Trudeau’s election promises ring hollow.”

Trudeau has until July 21 to respond to the committee's recommendations.

It is our hope that getting Boiling Point into the hands of MPs will mean a more informed decision, one that protects lakes and rivers in Canada.

To assist in this effort, please send Trudeau and Transport Minister Marc Garneau a message via this online action alert Tell Trudeau to keep his water protection promises. Let’s protect every lake and every river! [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=52987 ]


Tags: chapters
[ https://canadians.org/tags/chapters ]


Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

[Oscar]

Prince Edward Island chapter presents 'Boiling Point' book to Liberal MP Sean Casey

[ https://canadians.org/blog/prince-edwar ... sean-casey ]

May 24, 2017 - 7:56 pm

(PHOTO: Lynee Thiele, Sean Casey, Mary Cowper-Smith, Andrew Harris.)

The Council of Canadians Prince Edward Island chapter delivered a copy of Maude Barlow's book "Boiling Point: Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse, and Canada’s Water Crisis" to Liberal Member of Parliament Sean Casey this afternoon.

Chapter activist Leo Broderick tells us, "The PEI Chapter delivered Boiling Point to Charlottetown MP Sean Casey this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. He was appreciative. He had no idea that the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities is recommending that the Trudeau government leave the 99% of lakes and rivers unprotected under the Navigation Protection Act. He did remember though, this act being part of Harper's Omnibus Bill. And I think he remembered a promise. He assured us he would follow up. He was also unaware the Trudeau government has until July 21, 2017 to respond."

In her book, Barlow highlights our demand for the restoration and enhancement of the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

In 2012, Stephen Harper's Conservative government decimated the Navigable Waters Protection Act by removing federal oversight on pipelines and power lines from it and by reducing its scope to just 159 lakes and rivers, leaving more than 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers without federal scrutiny.

During the October 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau criticized the Harper government's "elimination of the Navigable Waters Protection Act" and specifically promised to "review these changes, restore lost protections, and incorporate more modern safeguards".

On March 23, the Liberal-dominated Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities made their recommendations on the Act - which clearly fail to restore lost protections or incorporate more modern safeguards.

Rather than extending protections to all lakes and rivers, it recommends: "That the government maintain the Schedule but rapidly improve the process of adding waterways to the Schedule by making it easily accessible, easy to use and transparent and that a public awareness campaign be put in place to inform stakeholders of the process." Furthermore, the committee weakly recommends, "That the government require that Transport Canada provide reasons why a waterway is or is not added to the schedule."

Barlow comments, "This was an opportunity for the committee and the Trudeau government to show leadership on water protection, and it is deeply disappointing that they have failed to do so. Freshwater protections are crucial to upholding the human right to water. Without protections for all lakes and rivers, Trudeau’s election promises ring hollow.”

Trudeau has until July 21 to respond to the committee's recommendations.

Twenty-two chapters are delivering copies of Boiling Point to 49 Members of Parliament in the coming days. It is our hope that getting the book into the hands of MPs will mean more informed decision-making on water protection issues.

To assist in this effort, please send Trudeau and Transport Minister Marc Garneau a message via this online action alert Tell Trudeau to keep his water protection promises. Let’s protect every lake and every river! [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=52987 ]


Tags: chapters
[ https://canadians.org/tags/chapters ]


Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

[Oscar]

Hamilton chapter presents Barlow's book 'Boiling Point' to Liberal MP Bob Bratina, urges action on water protection

[ https://canadians.org/blog/hamilton-cha ... tion-water ]

May 26, 2017 - 9:44 am

Will Liberal MP Bob Bratina (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) call for protections to be restored to 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers?

The Council of Canadians Hamilton chapter presented a copy of Maude Barlow's book "Boiling Point: Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse, and Canada’s Water Crisis" to Liberal Member of Parliament Bob Bratina on May 23.

Chapter activist Don Giberson tells us, "NDP MP Scott Duvall, who was a city councillor when Bob Bratina was Mayor, said Bratina was an advocate for water issues, so we presented a copy of the book to him."

In her book, Barlow highlights our demand for the restoration and enhancement of the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

In 2012, Stephen Harper's Conservative government decimated the Navigable Waters Protection Act by removing federal oversight on pipelines and power lines from it and by reducing its scope to just 159 lakes and rivers, leaving more than 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers without federal scrutiny.

During the October 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau criticized the Harper government's "elimination of the Navigable Waters Protection Act" and specifically promised to "review these changes, restore lost protections, and incorporate more modern safeguards".

On March 23, the Liberal-dominated Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities made their recommendations on the Act - which clearly fail to restore lost protections or incorporate more modern safeguards.

But rather than extending protections to all lakes and rivers, it recommends: "That the government maintain the Schedule but rapidly improve the process of adding waterways to the Schedule by making it easily accessible, easy to use and transparent and that a public awareness campaign be put in place to inform stakeholders of the process." Furthermore, the committee weakly recommends, "That the government require that Transport Canada provide reasons why a waterway is or is not added to the schedule."

Trudeau has until July 21 to respond to the committee's recommendations.

Twenty-two chapters are delivering copies of Boiling Point to 49 Members of Parliament in the coming days. It is our hope that getting the book into the hands of MPs will translate into more informed decision-making on water protection issues.

To assist in this effort, please send Trudeau and Transport Minister Marc Garneau a message via this online action alert Tell Trudeau to keep his water protection promises. Let’s protect every lake and every river! [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=52987 ]

Tags: chapters
[ https://canadians.org/tags/chapters ]

Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

[Oscar]

Mid Island chapter meets with MP Sheila Malcolmson on the Navigable Waters Protection Act

[ https://canadians.org/blog/mid-island-c ... ection-act ]

May 28, 2017 - 1:34 pm

(PHOTO: Chapter activist June Ross, NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson)

The Council of Canadians Mid Island chapter met with NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson today to present her with a copy of Maude Barlow's book Boiling Point: Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse, and Canada’s Water Crisis and to discuss the Navigable Waters Protection Act and environmental protection issues.

In 2012, Stephen Harper's Conservative government decimated the Navigable Waters Protection Act by removing federal oversight on pipelines and power lines from it and by reducing its scope to just 159 lakes and rivers, leaving more than 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers without federal scrutiny.

In January 2013, CBC reported, "A letter obtained by Greenpeace through access to information laws and passed on to the CBC reveals the oil and gas industry was granted its request that the federal government change a series of environmental laws... The letter [from the Energy Framework Initiative, a group that includes the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association] specifically mentions six laws that relate to the oil and gas industry's ability to do its work: National Energy Board Act, Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Fisheries Act, Navigable Waters Protection Act, Species at Risk Act, and Migratory Birds Convention Act."

Chapter activist June Ross tells us, "I told Sheila that from my perspective it was the oil and gas corporations that were running the show. She indicated that Enbridge has lobbied the government 87 times! I advised Sheila that the Environmental issues were extremely important to most of us on the Coast."

Malcolmson told Ross that it's important for chapter activists across the country to lobby backbench Liberal MPs.

During the October 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau criticized the Harper government's "elimination of the Navigable Waters Protection Act" and specifically promised to "review these changes, restore lost protections, and incorporate more modern safeguards".

But now rather than recommending that those lost protections be fully restored, the Liberal-dominated Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities suggests, "That the government maintain the Schedule [of 159 lakes and rivers] but rapidly improve the process of adding waterways to the Schedule by making it easily accessible, easy to use and transparent and that a public awareness campaign be put in place to inform stakeholders of the process."

Trudeau has until July 21 to respond to the committee's recommendations.

Our view, as argued in Barlow's book Boiling Point, is that all 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers should be immediately listed and protected under a restored and enhanced Navigable Waters Protection Act.

Twenty-two chapters across the country are meeting with 49 MPs - including backbench Liberal MPs - before that date to build momentum for stronger water protection laws than what the Standing Committee on Transport has recommended.

To assist in this effort, please send Trudeau and Transport Minister Marc Garneau a message via this online action alert Tell Trudeau to keep his water protection promises. Let’s protect every lake and every river!: [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=52987 ]


Tags: chapters
[ https://canadians.org/tags/chapters ]


Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

[Oscar]

Cowichan Valley chapter presents 'Boiling Point' to NDP MP Alistair MacGregor

[ https://canadians.org/blog/cowichan-val ... -macgregor ]

May 31, 2017 - 4:33 pm

(PHOTO: (left-right) Renate Weigel, Trudy Thorgierson, Alistair MacGregor, Donna Cameron)

The Council of Canadians Cowichan Valley chapter met with NDP Member of Parliament Alistair MacGregor to present him with a copy of Maude Barlow's book Boiling Point: Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse, and Canada’s Water Crisis.

Chapter activist Donna Cameron tells us, "Trudy Thorgierson, Renate Weigel and myself met with Alistair on May 25th. Renate donated Maude's book, Boiling Point, to Alistair. He spends a lot of time flying from our west coast riding to Ottawa and back so uses that time to read. He was appreciative of receiving the book and we also gave him a sheet of information about action we would like taken to save our water. He said he would pass that information along to Linda Duncan, the party's environment critic."

Twenty-two Council of Canadians chapters across the country are presenting 49 MPs with Boiling Point as a key debate approaches in the House of Commons on the restoration of the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

In 2012, the Harper government decimated that Act by removing federal oversight on pipelines and power lines and reducing its scope to just 159 lakes and rivers, leaving more than 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers without federal scrutiny.

In January 2013, CBC reported, "A letter obtained by Greenpeace through access to information laws ... reveals the oil and gas industry was granted its request that the [Harper] government change a series of environmental laws... The letter [from the Energy Framework Initiative, a group that includes the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers] specifically mentions six laws that relate to the oil and gas industry's ability to do its work [including] the Navigable Waters Protection Act."

During the October 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau criticized the Harper government's "elimination of the Navigable Waters Protection Act" and specifically promised to "review these changes, restore lost protections, and incorporate more modern safeguards".

But now rather than recommending that those lost protections be fully restored, the Liberal-dominated Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities suggests, "That the government maintain the Schedule [of 159 lakes and rivers] but rapidly improve the process of adding waterways to the Schedule by making it easily accessible, easy to use and transparent and that a public awareness campaign be put in place to inform stakeholders of the process."

Our view, as argued in Barlow's book "Boiling Point", is that all 31,000 lakes and 2.25 million rivers should be immediately listed and protected under a restored and enhanced Navigable Waters Protection Act.

Trudeau has until July 21 to make his decision.

Please "Tell Trudeau to keep his water protection promises. Let’s protect every lake and every river!" by responding to this action alert: [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=52987 ]


Tags: chapters
[ https://canadians.org/tags/chapters ]

Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]