Navigable Waterways Act, and its impact upon paddlers, and all boaters, and their rights on waterways. From the chairperson of the Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association, ( O.R.C.K.A. ), John Wood.

NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS ACT IMPACTS ALL PRIVATE BOATERS IN CANADA, INCLUDING FOREIGN TOURISTS

CHANGES TO THE NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS ACT, 2009.

NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS PROTECTION ACT REVISION EFFECTS

After attending the Senate Committee hearing on behalf of ORCKA and all paddlers, I am even more certain of the threat regarding

access to and
usage of waterways by the public.

Government has responded solely to corporate pressures in the legislation that is now passed. This legislation is a direct response to the vigorously expressed needs of “non profit” municipal corporations and “for profit” corporations seeking more relaxed rules regarding

private docks,

water treatment plants and

waste facilities,

seeking greater access to clean water to pursue their businesses - making great reference to providing employment, of course. These were powerful motivations for the new legislation, which entails less oversight. Catering to only these selfserving interests, the government process, in my opinion, was

flawed as the public interest, including other stakeholders such as paddlers, was ignored.



The problems as seen by paddlers are of

access and

water quality.

Paddlers have noted that once a site is dedicated to a municipal purpose such as waste treatment, or to a private development for “green energy” say hydro- electric, the site is rapidly enclosed in chain link and public access prohibited. Once a site is devoted to industrial purposes the water quality falls into a set of arbitrarily arrived at “acceptable” standards, monitored by an under-funded government agency. In one instance the access is denied and in the other paddlers may be drinking water fouled by industry but which is within “acceptable” standards.

The over-riding reality is that

paddlers, trying to preserve access and water quality, are vastly overshadowed in the political arena by well-funded corporate interests. It was a humbling and enlightening experience to represent paddlers through ORCKA, before a Senate committee dealing with legislation that had already been passed. Why the

paddlers and other waterway users were not present at the original hearings is a matter of some intrigue.

Paddlers must become more involved in political processes if we want a say in environmental matters such as waterways. Unfortunately paddlers have traditionally avoided these processes with the inherent time requirements and inevitable conflicts between stakeholders. Many paddlers take up paddling to avoid these very things. We could easily do so

in the past when undisputed access and clean water was everywhere.

This has changed and paddlers must change.

John Wood, Chair, Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association 2009

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