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dam-l Bill C-56 and sturgeon/ Manitoba (Fwd) Environmental disaster area promoted by Canada



Listmembers [particularly those in Canada]:

OK, first off, this is the first time I've seen this. :-( 

And the date for the submissions to the House Subcommittee re: Bill C-
56  has passed but I think there are still things that can be done 
through the Fisheries critics, in particular the NDP and reform.  I 
doubt the BQ cares, frankly. :-(

I feel that I owe you an explanation for the delay.  First off, this 
is completely volunteer effort on the list and on the website.  
Nobody gets paid, would that it were.  So when my computer, the 
system this list runs on [Sandelman, thanks to Michael Richardson]  
PLUS the firewall on sandelman experienced a series of crashes, well 
that slows things down. The biggest obstacle to my getting USENET 
stuff has been my struggle with some chronic, recurring health 
problems.

DRWG is a small group, totally volunteer, and though we've been 
trying to get some replacement people to help out I'm the only one 
with access to sandelman, the technical chops, AND the time to haul 
through the USENET listings.  My thanks to Krishna Bera for 
forwarding this, at any rate.

I'm truly sorry I didn't hear about this before. Anyway, my 
apologies...  better late than never.  Ther are still some things 
interested people may be able to do or are already doing.

-Dianne

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From:           	"Krishna E. Bera" <kebera@Cyblings.ON.CA>
Subject:        	(fwd) Environmental disaster area promoted by Canada in Bill C-56 (fwd)
To:             	dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca
Date sent:      	Sun, 7 Mar 1999 09:27:29 -0500 (EST)

Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: Environmental disaster area promoted by Canada in Bill C-56
Date: 28 Feb 1999 04:13:24 GMT
Lines: 57
Message-ID: <7bafp4$b86$1@news.missouri.edu>

Red Alert! Environmental disaster area promoted by Canada in Bill C-56
February 26, 1999

Through Bill C-56, the Government of Canada supports the continuation of an
environment disaster area. While Canada claims Bill C-56 only facilitates the
implementation of existing agreements, it neglects to reveal the truth about
the disastrous impacts on the environment wildlife habit around Norway House
in Northern Manitoba.

Currently at the Committee stage, Bill C-56 legislates the Master
Implementation Agreement (MIA).  The MIA effectively alters, affects and
eliminates many existing Aboriginal and treaty rights protected by the 1977
Northern Flood Agreement (NFA Treaty).	The NFA Treaty deals with the effects
of a series of dams that were built along the Churchill and Nelson rivers by
Manitoba Hydro.  This project continues to impact the environment in and
around Lake Winnipeg, one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world;
Playgreen Lake, another lake of considerable size; other lakes and the
Churchill and Nelson rivers.

Manitoba Hydro dug a channel connecting Lake Winnipeg and Playgreen Lake with
an artificial river called Two Mile Channel. The migration of woodland caribou
that was disrupted in the 1940 has only begun to return in the last five
years.  Fluctuation of water levels caused by the project continue to disrupt
the levels of the water tables in the boreal forest, affecting the migration
pattern of the woodland caribou and affecting affection other wildlife
including water fowl, trees and plants.

Bill C-56 will allow Manitoba Hydro to increase the level of water storage in
these lakes and rivers, further damaging and affecting the wildlife habitat,
resulting in continued and accelerated erosion of the shorelines. The erosion
rate of the shorelines at Playgreen Lake is fifty feet each year and this has
resulted in the destruction of the water habitat in Playgreen Lake and other
lakes and rivers.  Sturgeon fish, once plentiful in Playgreen Lake, is at near
extinction levels due to the silt from erosion flowing through the channel.

Act quickly to help stop Bill C-56 before it goes to the third and final
reading.  March 1, 1999 is the deadline for submissions to the Standing
Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.  Please write them
and ask Bill C-56 not be passed because of the impacts it has on the
environment and wildlife habitat:

Christine Fisher
Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
House of Commons, Room 647, 180 Wellington
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0A6
Tel:  (613) 996 1532,   Fax:  (613) 992 7974  Email:  FisheC@parl.gc.ca

See map: http://homepages.infoseek.com/~cdncyberindian/map.gif

For more information please visit:

Protecting Aboriginal Rights, Lands and the Environment (PARLE)
Website:   http://www.infoseek.homepages.~PARLE.cdncyberindian
Email:  CDNCyberIndian@hotmail.com