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A group of paddling enthusiasts hope to become a voice for Canada’s waterways as they travel to Parliament Hill after starting a 500-km, eight-day journey on the weekend.
They’re expressing their concerns about proposed changes to the historic Navigable Waters Protection Act, which they say will adversely affect recreational activities such as rafting, canoeing and paddling.
“We’re just shocked at the level and the extent of changes being considered right now by a committee preparing a report for the Minister of Transportation,” said Doug Skeggs, director of river protection for Les Amis de la Riviere Kipawa, whose mission is to be advocates for Kipawa River.
The proposed federal legislation defines major waterways as ones large motorized crafts can pass, while tributaries won’t be considered navigable, according to Jim Coffey, owner of Esprit, an Outaouais-region rafting and adventure travel company.
That means if a developer wanted to build a dam or a causeway on the tributaries, an environmental assessment would not have to be undertaken nor would the concerns of people who use the river for recreational purposes be taken into consideration, said Coffey.
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Calling Canada’s major waterways and tributaries akin to the major blood vessels of a human body, Coffey said this could affect whitewater rafters, weekend canoeists or families who spend time on the river when they’re at the cottage.
Les Amis de la Riviere Kipawa began their 500-km trek in Laniel, Que., Saturday on the Kipawa River, which is a tributary of the Ottawa River.
After completing 60 km that day, they continued down the Ottawa River towards Lake Timiskaming. They estimate teams of four volunteers each—who will be switched each day—have to paddle at least 50 km daily to reach Parliament Hill on schedule.
On June 8, they plan to meet up with a group from the whitewater rafting industry that operates on the Ottawa River at the Champlain Bridge to take part in a vigil on Parliament Hill.
Ottawa Sun