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6TuesdayOctober292013EnvironmentWatershedsByMEAGANWOHLBERGWesternArcticMPDen-nisBevingtonistakingcor-rectiveactiontoreinstateprotectionforthePeelRiverwithaprivatemembersbillintroducedintheHouseofCommonslastWednesday.TheriverwhichflowsthroughtheNorthwestTer-ritoriesandYukonwasre-movedfromthelistofwaterbodiesprotectedundertheNavigableWatersProtectionActwhenitwasamendedlastwinterthroughomnibusBillC-45.BevingtonsaidthepushtoprotectthePeelcamefromdiscussionsprimarilywithFirstNationsleadersinboththeNWTandYukonattheDeneNationalAssemblyandGwichinAssemblyinInu-vikalongwiththeAssemblyofFirstNationsmeetingsinWhitehorseoverthesummer.TheretheissuewasraisedafterdiscussingasimilarbillmeanttoreinstateprotectionoftheSlaveRiverunderthesameactBillC-529intro-ducedlastspringbyEdmon-ton-StrathconaMPLindaDuncanandsecondedbyBevington.TheissuewasraisedwhenweweretalkingabouttheSlaveRivertoseethatthePeelisgiventhesameprotec-tionastheSlaveBevingtonsaid.Ithinkpeoplerecog-nizethatitsaninterjuris-dictionalriveranditsgotnavigationonitnow-itsgotaferryonit.Itsgotpeoplethatusetheriverregularly.Soitshouldbeaffordedthatstatusasanavigableriver.TheNavigableWatersPro-tectionActoneoftheoldestpiecesoflegislationinCan-adafunctionsasatriggeringmechanismforenvironmentalassessmentsofprojectsim-pactingwaterwayswhethertheyberiverslakesstreamsoroceans.WiththechangesbeingimplementedbytheConser-vativegovernmentthenum-berofprotectedwaterbodiesplummetedtoaroundtwopercentofCanadaswaterways.Bothprivatemembersbillsaremeanttocallattentiontoconcernsaroundtheamend-mentsandpointouttothegovernmentthatsomethingneedsfixinggiventheamountofsupportboththeSlaveandPeelRiverbillshavereceivedintheNorth.ApartfromthebackingbymanyAboriginallead-erstheTownofFortSmithhasoffereditsownsupporttoDuncansSlaveRiverbill.Aseriesofmeetingsinvolvingboththecom-munityofFortSmithandFortResolutionhavealsofollowedthebillsintroduc-tionandaimtofindalter-nativeroutesofprotectingtheSlaveRiver.ThoughhehopesthebillsleadtochangeBevingtonsaidseparatelegislationisnotrequiredtoreturnthewaterwaystotheprotectionsaffordedbytheact.Itsreallyunfortunatethatthefederalgovernmentdidwhattheydidbuttheycanchangeitveryquicklytooiftheywantto.TheycanchangeitbyorderincouncilsoitdoesntactuallyneedabillintheHouse.Thecabinetcansimplydothat.Butwewanttopressureoncontinuetokeepitanissuesothisgov-ernmentdoesitorwecangetthenextgovernmenttodoitBevingtonsaid.WhatwehopeisthatmanyoftheriversacrossCanadawillbereturnedtobeingconsiderednavigablewatersastheyshouldbebecausetheyare.MPputsforwardbilltoprotectPeelRiverPhotoMaryWaldenByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheremaybenoimmedi-atethreattotheSlaveRiverinsightbutagroupofpro-activeresidentsinFortSmithisteamingupwithfolksupanddowntheriveroverthenextfewmonthstoputaplaninplacefordesignatingthewaterwayaheritageriver.Around20individualsfromawidecross-rangeofagesandbackgroundsbothAboriginalandnon-Aborig-inalgatheredlastSaturdayforalengthymeetingtodis-cusswaysofmovingforwardwithprotectingthewaterwayoverwhichthespectreofhydrodevelopmentcontin-uestoloom.Whilethemajorityofat-tendeesvoicesconcernsabouttheeffectsofapossibledamprojectonthecommunityallagreedtosetthefocusoftheirnewsocietyonthepromotionoftheriverasahistoricandpresent-dayhavenfortradi-tionallanduseandrecreationontopofitsnaturalimportancetothelandandwildliferatherthanbeareactiveforceagainstpotentialdevelopment.Wehavetooffersome-thingbetterthanadamWesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonsaidatthemeeting.Heritageriverdesignationmeansputtingtogetherwhatpeoplethinkabouttheriver...Weneedtoimprovethecom-munityandregionbytakingtheriverseriouslyforwhatitsvaluesarebydoingsome-thingthatwilladdvaluetothecommunity.Thatcouldincludebuildingoffexistingeventsandactivi-tiesthattakeadvantageoftheriverlikeencouragingmoreshingtrappingandhuntingontheriveralongwithfesti-valslikePaddlefestthatpro-moterecreation.Themeetingputinmotionplanstoformaregisteredso-cietyinboththeNWTandAlbertawithobjectivesfo-cusedonpubliceducationpromotingsustainableusesoftheriverandbringingthecommunitytogethertoac-knowledgetheriversim-portancewithinformationbackedupbybothscienceandtraditionalknowledge.Thenewsocietywilllikelybemodelledafterorincon-junctionwiththeupstreamad-vocacygroupKeepersoftheAthabasca-acoalitionlookingtoexpanditsreachthroughoutthewatershed-alongwiththenon-protNorthAmericanRiverkeepernetwork.Thoughtheintentionistoworkproactivelywhilethecommunityisnotdividedontheissueofdevelopmentasithasbeenhistoricallywhen-everthepossibilityofadampresenteditselfmanycon-cernspresentedatthemeet-ingvoicedconcernabouthydroaswellasenvironmen-taldamagecomingfromtheupstreamoilindustry.RecentchangestofederallegislationliketheremovaloftheSlaveRiverfromtheNavigableWatersProtec-tionActhavecausedfur-therconcern.Withoutpro-tectionundertheactthereiscurrentlynothingtotrig-gerafederalenvironmentalassessmentforproposedde-velopmentmeaningadaminAlbertawouldnotrequiretheinputofpeopleintheNWT.Thoughheritageriverstatuswouldnotcarrylegalweightitwouldsignalaunieddesiretokeeptheriverunimpededbydevelopmentandinvolveaplanningprocessthegroupbelievescouldresultinspin-offactivitiesliketourismthatharnesstheeconomicandcommunity-buildingpotentialoftherivermoresustainably.ThegroupplanstomeetagainattheendofNovember.SocietyformingtoprotectpromoteSlaveRiverWesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonhopestoseethePeelRiverre-enlistedundertheprotectionoftheNavigableWa-tersProtectionActfollowingtheintroductionofhisprivatemembersbilllastweek.EnvironmentWatersheds