Ontario Won't Sign Great Lakes Agreement |
22 November 04 |
Ontario Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay announced that Ontario will not sign an international agreement on The Great Lakes unless changes to enhance the level of protection for the waters of the Great Lakes Basin are made. The Ontario government has essentially agreed with stakeholders and citizens who have argued the agreement allows for wholesale water diversion. In public consultations held throughout Ontario during September, citizens clearly indicated that they opposed any water diversions from the Great Lakes. The Ontario government will continue talks with Quebec and eight U.S. states on an agreement covering the five Great Lakes.In July 2004, the U.S. governors, along with Ontario and Quebec, published a two-part draft agreement on regulation of Great Lakes basin water, including potential large diversions for use outside the basin. The second part gives the U.S. governors the right to decide on diversions irrespective of the provinces' or Canada's view, Minister Ramsay said, noting Ontario and Quebec do not have veto power on diversions as the eight states would have. (Previous public outrage on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border led to the signing of the Great Lakes Charter Annex in 2001, which strengthened protection of the basin waters and led to the draft agreements released in July 2004.) On November 18, 2004, the Council of Canadians warned the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development of the dangers of the proposed Great Lakes Annex. This is the first time Parliament has reviewed the Draft Annex 2001 Implementing Agreements. The Committee will make recommendations to Parliament on how the federal government should respond to this highly controversial issue. The Council of Canadians continues to assert that this issue is of national interest, and must be addressed by the Federal government. View the November 15, 2004 press release from Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources View the November 16, 2004 Toronto Star article posted on the Waterhole web site View the November 15, 2004 press release from the Council of Canadians Sources: Ontario MNR, Council of Canadians, The Toronto Star
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