Navigable Waters Act at committee one last time

The Ottawa River is one of just 62 rivers in Canada that will remain governed by the new Navigation Protection Act. The proposed changes to the old Navigable Waters Protection Act are before a Commons committee in Ottawa Tuesday. (Pawel Dwulit/Canadian Press)

Navigable Waters Act at committee one last time

130-year-old law being replaced with legislation focusing on just 162 waterways

by Max Paris, Environment Unit, CBC News Nov 6, 2012

Two hours of Transport Committee hearings Tuesday will be the last word the House of Commons hears on the 130-year-old Navigable Waters Protection Act.

The Act is to be replaced by the Navigation Protection Act, a piece of legislation included in bill C-45, the government's second omnibus Budget Implementation Act.

"We're losing our tools to protect fresh water and our federal government is really getting rid of their responsibility to protect our waterways," argues Meredith Brown, the Ottawa Riverkeeper, a watchdog group that monitors water quality in the Ottawa River and its tributaries.

The Ottawa is one 62 rivers, 97 lakes and three oceans that will be protected under the new act. The old act protected every body of water you could float a canoe in and required ministerial approval to be sought for any structure that went over, under or through a waterway.

Brown worries about who will protect the thousands of rivers and lakes that won't be covered under the new act.

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