Millions Of Lakes And Rivers Now Unprotected In Canada

I'm 23, Canadian born, and haven't yet had a real need to vote for really anything in my country. I never saw any drastic changes in our Government or how Canada was really run. Thus, I never really paid attention. I know very little about politics, especially in Canada, and even less about who's running in it. Politics has never interested me to even the very least. I always thought that the big game changers, such as the Presidential Elections in the USA were not only far more interesting, but far more important, globally. Perhaps I'm right - or - Perhaps I should have been paying more attention.

There has been a massive, debilitating disturbance that has only recently came to my attention that really made me look at my government for the first time. That would be caused from the blind, power hungry and monstrously destructive Stephen Harper Government.

He has passed a bill entitled Omnibus bill, C-45 which changes pretty much everything that Canada really stands for. Not only that, but he also recently passed another bill which too gutted the Environment in Canada.

On December 4th 2012 Canada had over 2.5 million protected lakes and rivers, the following day Canada now has 82 in total. 90% of which reside within conservative territories.

I was horrified to hear such a decision and instantly wondered how this would ever have come to pass. Apparently, Harper has bypassed all that democracy is, and rushed this bill in without virtually any decisive measures from Canadian citizens and other parties.

Opposition MPs say the use of omnibus bills subverts the democratic process as they don't give Parliament the ability to do its job in holding government to account.

"This omnibus budget bill is yet another example of the Conservatives steam-rolling democracy to force unpopular, non-budgetary measures through Parliament at record speed without the necessary scrutiny," said Liberal finance critic Scott Brison.

Link


Fortunately we see much rise against such horrid governmental decisions. A fantastic speech given by Ms. Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North, Lib.) explains my own frustration.

Previously, through economic action plan 2012 and Bill C-38, the government severely cut the budget to Environment Canada, gutted environmental legislation and cancelled the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. The Conservatives have also silenced dissent from environmental non-governmental organizations and have continued to muzzle government scientists. In so doing, they affect our economy and environment today and in the future.
 
Through Bill C-45, our world-renowned natural heritage is being further imperilled by a government that fails to understand that water is the foundation of life and that it is essential for socio-economic systems and healthy ecosystems.

Link



She goes on to say...

The government must stop repeatedly abusing Parliament by ramming through massive omnibus bills and turning the legislative process into a farce.

 Two years ago, the government introduced an 880-page omnibus bill, representing half the entire workload of Parliament from the previous year. This past spring, the government introduced Bill C-38, a 425-page omnibus budget implementation bill that made sweeping changes to employment insurance, immigration and old age security. An astonishing 150 pages were devoted to destroying 50 years of environmental oversight. None of these changes were in the Conservative platform. This time, Bill C-45 is a 443-page omnibus bill that would alter some 60 pieces of legislation, including the Canada Labour Code, the Fisheries Act, the Indian Act and the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

Link

Finally, and most shocking is...

The government’s record on the environment is appalling, as recognized repeatedly by its bottom of the barrel environment performances. The 2008 Climate Change Performance Index ranked Canada 56th out of 57 countries in terms of tackling emissions. In 2009, the Conference Board of Canada ranked Canada 15th out of 17 wealthy industrialized nations on environmental performance. In 2010, Simon Fraser University ranked Canada 24th out of 25 countries. This week we have been ranked 58th out of 61 countries on climate policy.

Link

My Government is disgusting, it really is time for change.

Whatever you may think of the Canadian federal government, I am going to frankly ask you to look at this satellite map of Canada

www.gosur.com...

now - tell me - what "protection" do you really think most of these lakes need? Lakes that have no industrial waste inputs and no people living around them to discharge or leak sewage into the lakes really don't need expensive oversight.

Further, as to whether or not the UN is worried about Canada's emissions, well frankly, who cares about their opinion?

Most of Canada's emissions relate to heating (we need to use more energy to heat our homes in the winter) and to travel (look at that map again and compare shipping from one end of the country to the other with a country the size of Germany).

unfccc.int...

The UN wants to impose a tax on emissions - for Canadians that is a tax on NOT freezing to death in the winter. And exactly how will this tax help the environment?

Ontario, the manufacturing centre of Canada, has lost so much industry that we no longer need to worry about meeting our electrical needs.

You know, there are always two sides to a story. Its important to really carefully think things through.

Tired of Control Freaks

Harper is the prime minister with the less Canadian values that was ever elected.

If he could, he would sell our country in one big sale but since he can't, he's doing it little by little.

Sometimes i wonder if he's either an elite pawn to bring forth a nwo, just wants to get richer or just hates Canada, our nature and the average Canadians altogether.

Originally posted by TiredofControlFreaks
now - tell me - what "protection" do you really think most of these lakes need? Lakes that have no industrial waste inputs and no people living around them to discharge or leak sewage into the lakes really don't need expensive oversight.

You don't seem to understand that regardless if there are a lot of anything, if they are getting picked off one by one, eventually they will all be gone. Not only that but water being such a large resource both for consumption and for tourist attraction, you would think that protecting it would be the best intentions. Canada has one of the largest (if not the largest) fresh water supply on the planet, it would be a ridiculous notion to rip protection from our most valuable resource.

Originally posted by TiredofControlFreaks
The UN wants to impose a tax on emissions - for Canadians that is a tax on NOT freezing to death in the winter. And exactly how will this tax help the environment?

Do you not think that that implication would lead to technological development in ways we can heat our homes for cheaper and more efficient manners? In alberta we get cheques from the government if we have high efficiency appliances. Seeing how technology is exponential, we will have higher efficient and lower costing available technologies that we can use to heat homes/water and so on. Why not impose that tax and lead a technological race to improve our way of life?

Canada needs to stay away from any politician calling themselves conservative. They will try to turn you into the USA right wing.

The only real threat to the Canadian enviroment is acid rain which as i recall there has been a great forest decline in eastern canada. And we all know where this pollution is coming from

reply to post by Ghost147


"if" they were getting picked off one by one - well, if my aunt had balls, she would be my uncle.

These lakes are NOT getting picked off one by one and please explain why my tax dollars should be spent "protecting" them (just what protection is my tax dollars buying). The fact is that most of Canada's lakes are in uninhabited areas.

Would it not be more fiscally effecient to focus on the lakes that do need protection?

And please explain how paying a tax to the UN is helping me as a Canadian?

Do you not understand that carbon taxes are just a tax on being alive?

You want to protect the environment - fine! Great! No problem but no way in hell am I ever going to vote to pay a tax just because I exist on the planet!

Tired of Control Freaks

reply to post by BacknTime


Yes - we do know exactly where the pollution is coming from....cross-border migration from the Ohio Valley with all of its coal fired energy plants.

Tired of Control freaks

reply to post by Ghost147


If there is a more efficient means of heating our homes or transporting our goods, I have no doubt whatsoever that the free market will bring it to my door.

If something needs to be subsidized by the government, its because there is no market for it. If there is no market for it, its because it likely doesn't work as advertised.

Tired of Control Freaks

Originally posted by TiredofControlFreaksWould it not be more fiscally effecient to focus on the lakes that do need protection?

Yes of course! like the 82 out of 2.6 million that are already government owned right? You're not one of the politicians are you?

Originally posted by TiredofControlFreaksAnd please explain how paying a tax to the UN is helping me as a Canadian?

I already did. A tax on emissions would mean a race to more efficient technology. After all, if you did get taxed on emissions would you not want to pay less of the tax? Even if your greed only attains to yourself and you don't give a damn about the environment, you would at the very least unintentionally assist it by using energy efficient devices and appliances.

You do also realize that the UN has already put a limit to specific chemicals and the amount that they can be used per country. This was instilled not too long ago and we are already seeing massive effects. 6 years ago the hole in the ozone layer over the antarctic was over 11 million square miles large. It is now only 6 million square miles and they expect the entire planets ozone layer to be practically fully 'healed' by 2050. This is the second smallest it has been for over 20 years.
www.nasa.gov..." target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow">Link

Originally posted by TiredofControlFreaksYou want to protect the environment - fine! Great! No problem but no way in hell am I ever going to vote to pay a tax just because I exist on the planet!

Ah yes, you're not going to live in 2100, why should you give a damn what the world will be like when your gone. Why care about how your children will live and what environment and living conditions they will have to deal with. Why care about mass extinction due to our polluting and negligence.
What a very self centered way of thinking.

reply to post by Ghost147


motherhood statements! - all of your reply is motherhood statements. Attach the word "environment" to anything and all of a sudden I am supposed to park my brain and blindly accept whatever you say.

Tell you what - you want technology developments. Pay for them outright. there is no need for a tax, hoping that some company, somewhere will develop something that maybe might reduce the need for fossil fuel. Hire a company (or many companies) and subsidize the research directly.

You want to impose a tax on living because it MIGHT encourage developments. And how much money will go into how many pockets along the way?

As for the Kyoto Protocol and the ban on refrigerants to repair the hole in the ozone....turns out that they were never really all that sure that CFCs caused the hole in the first place. Other things are now being blamed for depletion of the ozone - like cosmic wind, state of sea ice cover. Turns out the hole in the ozone layer recovered a lot faster than could be expected by the ban of CFCs and they are now discovering other theories of what causes the ozone layer

please google this yourself as its quite a wide subject of debate.

And the ban on CFCs cost us all billions of dollars that could have been spent protecting the environment from sewage discharges, treating and conserving water.

Don't drink the kool-aid for people who demand money as the answer to all things.

Tired of Control Freaks

reply to post by Ghost147

Great post OP! As a fellow Canadian, I have been pressing the importance of the issue myself and the huge impacts that may follow. It was first brought to my intention by our local MP Glen Thibeault who was delivering talks around the city to stress the importance and negative effects a few weeks ago. I'm glad to see such an important topic discussed here, well done man.

Canada is not about to lose any lakes, streams, ponds, rivers etc due to this. Not being protected while being in a completely natural state won't hurt anything and does not mean there won't be oversight if/when some of this fresh water is evetually encroached upon, and most of it won't be for an exceedingly long time.

I'm an old-school conservative who believes in personal liberty first just so everyone has at least a vague idea of where I shoot from. I'm also from Michigan which means I positively froth at the mouth anytime someone, somewhere proposes doing something even remotely out of the ordinary with the Great Lakes and/or it's surrounding watershed. We're close as it gets to being part Canadian in the US anyway. I mean heck a lot of us have to go due SOUTH to go to Canada And one thing Ontario and Michigan have always been able to do is keep any others from messing with the blessing of fresh water 'round these parts. The Great Lakes Commision may have 7 other members, but everyone knows it's essentially a duopoly whenever push comes to shove. And Canada has been a reliably excellent steward of her fresh waters.

Humans weren't as knowledgeable when we allowed Lake Erie to become choked with pollution and we lost the Blue Walleye as a species. Ignorance is not stupidity and Lake Erie is healing. No one in Canada is going to allow Lake Winnipeg or any of those fantastic Northern Pike lakes to go down that road, ever. So stop worrying about unnecessary protected status designations of waters that have nothing to be protected from, this WILL free up money to continue protecting waters that do have threats. I'm 100% certain my Canadian Brothers and Sisters south of me (hehehe) will not be hurting any fresh waters anytime soon.

Sincerely,
A Red Wings fan who got to watch Lanny McDonald skate a victory lap around the Forum with The Cup in his hands back in 1989 while drinking delicious Moosehead smuggled in with minimal subterfuge. I was young, what can I say?

reply to post by Snoil


Thank you Snoil - everyone of these posters is talking about loss of "protection" but not one of them has the slightest clue what it means.

Bill C-45 amends the Navigable Waters Act and the Fisheries Act. The Fisheries Act is about 130 years old and has never been updated (sure protected the cod fishery didn't it?)

Changes in the Navigable Waters Act were necessary to remove red tape in relation to the construction of pipelines. It doesn't change the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act.

I myself, am not a member of the "build nothing no place never!" crowd. Like or not - economics and culture are an important part of the "environment". Unfortunately, the greens have revealed themselves as people who have only one solution to environmental issues - stop all development and reduce the population.

How can the OP make such sweeping statements about the conservative government without knowing exactly what was in the bill or how it might affect the environment?

Oh yes - I forgot - say the word "environment" and everyone is supposed to park their brains and open their wallets for a "good" cause.

Tired of Control Freaks

reply to post by Snoil


Hey there Snoil, I am glad that you are from Michigan as we can relate in many respects. I am from Toronto and a Maple Leafs fan, and even though they keep losing I still cheer for them. The protection that this bill strips from lakes and rivers is worrisome because it can lead to something your own state of Michigan is facing, the stealing of water from a major corporation like Nestle. They are sucking water faster than nature can replenish it, and its leading to lower water levels. I would hate to see a similar corporation come to Canada and find an unprotected little lake and start sucking the water off to bottle it, and sell it at 1000% more of what it costs them. I would also hate to see a major oil company, or any other company set up a facility and start dumping toxic waste into an unprotected little river or lake without impunity. This is the alarm bell that this bill is raising.

There is a good show from Jesse Ventura Conspiracy Theory about this. The episode is called The great lakes conspiracy.

I have to say...

There is a serious portion of Canadians that are completely out of there minds. I can't even begin to Fathom the OP's concern here.

# 2 land area nation in the world.

# 35 by population

#1 in fresh available water, very likely #1 in untapped resources

And you guys are tops in "concern" over environment, immigration, population control.... not developing ANYTHING lol

Is this not the most selfish... unbelievable attitude...

couple million acres per person is the new "sustainable"???? LOL

You know You Canucks could save the world...

Seriously, if you guys actually gave a poop you could seriously Farm 20x more feed the planet, relieve the world immigration burden, provide fresh water needed by Millions, relieve the world carbon fuel burden... so much more can't even imagine the growth instead of stagnation globally if there was a "rising canada" alongside china right now...

But no... the poster child nation for the georgia guide stones wont do a damn thing

Originally posted by theMediator


Sometimes i wonder if he's either an elite pawn to bring forth a nwo, just wants to get richer or just hates Canada, our nature and the average Canadians altogether.

Nail on the head my friend.. the entire elite governments play chess with "their" Nations.. these people are morally sick in the F*in head.. ugh I cant stand it.

Harper is a blind looser.. thinks he has some control, thinks hes part of a global elite, like you said hes a pawn.

No one runs an elite country by election; russia, canada, america, germany, france, china, japan, austrialia, mexico, sweden, norway.. etc .. NO ONE is elected by the people; is all set in stone, F* with the NWO, they kill ya, simple as that.

They have control, always have, always will until people take down this tyranny by themselves and stop waiting for Ron Pauls and raptures to save them. Its ignorance and weakness in the human mind and spirit that cant stand for itself, just accepts its pointless role in soceity and shuts up.

These people running the countries I just listed; are way ahead of all of us.. they KNOW what they are doing, and its not good for the rest of us. It doesnt take a scientist or a conspiracy theorist to figure out that all Nations have slowly been conquored in the past century, the next century ... well my heart is deeply saddened for those who incarnate on this planet then. Its all thanks to the PEOPLE for not making a stand, our children, and their children will live in a complete controlled planet, where "freedom" wont even be in the dictionary.

12-12-12.. people better act fast; those who were against the Occupy Movement, you will have massive regrets when the control is final and the people are nothing more then robotic animals to these elite characters.. you havent experienced anything like this, because it hasnt happened yet, because you never lived through a WORLD WAR, you never witnessed global domination..

How wrong we are for not taking action against our governments.. we will regret for the rest of our sorry lives.

Stephan Harper, Barack Obama and the other leaders in command of great nations; you are traitors to the human race. Karma will catch up to you all in the end...

Sorry for the emotional extension; each day goes by, we do nothing but work for these sick bastards, and they are just another chess piece ahead..

I was just reading about that the other day.
It really comes as no surprise to me that Harper would do that, but it defiantly adds fuel to the fire of rage that burns within for that man.. Frighting to think how much damage will be done in total when he finally leaves Parliament.
It will take a long time to undo what has been done...

I use to be proud to be Canadian, but now our Country is just another corporate America. Sicking.

Originally posted by penninja

But no... the poster child nation for the georgia guide stones wont do a damn thing

Thanks for the chuckle. Canada is a funny place. Nice . . . but . . . well, let's just say . . . nice.

It's amazing how many so called "Canadians" would gladly see their country led by a dog leash that is tied to the corrupt united nations who are imposing across Canada their agenda 21 ideals under the guise of a "clean green future". It's disgusting that the idiots who live in cities like Toronto support erecting these massive noisy windmill monstrosities (more UN agenda 21 useless garbage) north of the city by voting in half-wit incompetent leaders like Dalton "the sucky baby" McGuilty. Hey people in the city, we shoot at these disgusting noisy eyesores with large caliber rifles to throw off the balance of the blades; they are not wanted here, these things are despised, erect them on Toronto's waterfront if you want them so bad.

And then you have the real brain busting ideas from these same types of "enviro do-gooders" that would love to impose UN lead agenda 21 carbon taxes in Provinces like Ontario who's economy has been slowly squashed for the last decade by asinine and corrupt Liberal party policies that have bled this province dry and put us in a fiscal hole that's deeper than the De Beers NWT Diamond Mines...

No thanks, take your UN driven carbon taxes and agenda 21 land grabbing tactics and shove them where the sun don't shine.

To add, using links from that blow hard Liberal Party Member of Parliament Kristy Duncan who by default will skew and spin this subject in the Liberal parties favor is about as informative as using the CBC for balanced Canadian political NEWS.