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[Fwd: Nanoose Bay - Please distribute]
-------- Original Message --------
From: Human Rights Institute of Canada <hric@pobox.mondenet.com>
Subject: Nanoose Bay - Please distribute
May 30, 2000
ARMING THE AMERICAN WAR MACHINE
Every Government’s first duty is to protect its territory and its
citizens. When Governments fail in that duty, the citizens must take up
the survival of their country.
One year ago, I warned that the Federal Government was preparing to
seize part of the territory of British Columbia and hand it over to the
United States for military use.
That warning has come true. The Federal Government has done two illegal
things. In September, 1999 it illegally seized Nanoose Bay, British
Columbia, which is the centre of the military operations. On December
17, 1999, the Federal Government followed up with an illegal agreement
with the United States. This agreement gives the United States the right
to do torpedo testing in internal waters of British Columbia known as
the Georgia Strait, between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British
Columbia. It also gives the Americans the right to have an advanced
underwater acoustic measurements system at Jervis Inlet, on the B.C.
mainland.
Canada is, therefore, arming the American war machine.
Those actions are a violation of the Constitution of Canada. The Federal
Government has refused to refer the legality to the Supreme Court of
Canada. The Human Rights Institute of Canada has the legal status and
the lengthy legal and constitutional research to take a challenge to the
Courts. We need major funding from citizens who care about the survival
of this country and about the independence of Canada from the American
military machine.
THE BACKGROUND
Nanoose Bay is key to the Court case. That is what has been expropriated
illegally, in violation of Section 117 of the Constitution Act, 1867. It
is a beautiful bay on Vancouver Island, facing across the Georgia Strait
to Vancouver and the mainland.
Former British Columbia Governments leased Nanoose Bay to the Federal
Government for a military testing site. It was used almost entirely by
the United States for a torpedo test range. Many organizations and
individuals are protesting its use for war preparation and unknown
pollution and effects on animals and humans. The B.C. government and
people have refused to agree to nuclear weapons being carried into B.C.
waters by warships or submarines involved in such operations.
The Federal Government agreement with the United States contains no
restrictions on the United States bringing nuclear weapons into the
waters of British Columbia.
The Federal Government action in British Columbia is a precedent for the
Federal Government bringing nuclear weapons into any territory of any
province in Canada.
It must be stopped.
PAYING THE PRICE
We will all pay a heavy price if these illegal Federal actions are not
reversed. Each province and territory faces the same threat of
forfeiting part of its land. Those governments must be made to
challenge this deliberate violation of the Constitution.
There will be no compensation for damages or destruction of property.
Nor for injuries or death to humans. If anything happens in British
Columbia, individuals are on their own.
Sea mammals and fish upon which we depend are at risk. Grey whales in
British Columbia are dying. Orca whales off B.C.’s coast are reported to
be among the most contaminated marine mammals in the world.
Protesters in Vieques, Puerto Rico are being brutalized by American
forces for demanding an end to live bomb testing by the Americans. We
Canadians must no longer submit to the American war machine.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We must challenge the Federal Government in the Courts in Ottawa on the
illegal seizure of Nanoose Bay. That means that we must raise funds on a
massive scale. It cannot be done in British Columbia, where preliminary
challenges failed. It must be done in Ottawa, where the media and
Parliament can no longer ignore it.
The Human Rights Institute of Canada is the legal research organization
that exists nowhere else, but we need funds. We have the law on our
side, but the Federal Government will use every possible method, every
technical objection, to prevent this case from being heard by the
Courts.
I have the legal and constitutional experience from my career in the
Federal Government where I was the Constitutional and International and
United Nations expert on these matters. This knowledge, buttressed by
everything in my work at the Institute, will be available. We must also
have legal counsel here with expertise in dealing with the Courts and
the difficulties that we will encounter.
A million dollars is needed to rescue Canada. Each of us has the power
to stand up for this cause. We provide charitable receipts.
Join us to take back Canada for Canadians.
Dr. Marguerite E. Ritchie, Q.C.
President, Human Rights Institute of Canada
Tel:(613) 232-2920, Fax:(613) 232-3735
e-mail: hric@pobox.mondenet.com
http://www.mondenet.com/~hric/
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