Working Hard to Safeguard Paddling Assets for All Canadians

All about Whitewater

All about Whitewater
A Blog about River Preservation and the need to protect our free flowing whitewater resources

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Kipawa Lake Preservation Society Web Page

Kipawa, Quebec – Recently, the Kipawa Lake Preservation Society launched their website, www.kipawalakepreservationsociety.ca. The purpose of the site is to inform the public of the current threats to the Kipawa watershed. The current focus is on mining and specifically the mining of rare earths and Kipawa Rare Earths Project proposed by a junior mining company, Matamec Explorations Inc. If allowed to proceed this project has the potential to forever change the area and the watershed. Information on potential risks and impacts presented on the website have been thoroughly researched and come from reputable sources such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) as well as Government of Canada reports. Matamec Explorations Inc. published a feasibility report in fall 2013 that identified many potential impacts including: Effects on surface water quality and hydrology Drawdown of groundwater Soil Quality Air Quality Noise and Vibration Loss of vegetation and wetlands Habitat Loss and Alteration Relocation of seasonal camps and cottages Effects on recreational use of area (hunting, fishing, trapping, canoeing) Disturbance to archeological sites Visual modification to the landscape Traffic increases on the Maniwaki Road Potential risk of chemical products being split during transport (from Ontario to Quebec) Modifications to biophysical and social environment The extraction and processing rare earths present a unique set of risks not present with other types of mining. While, Canada has more stringent environmental laws than China (currently the top rare earth producer), Canadian environmental laws were written prior to the existence of rare earth mining. Canadian environmental laws do not address many of the contaminants of concern or place restrictions upon their release into the environment. This project site is located in close proximity to the Kipawa watershed and upstream of important fish spawning habitat, drinking water sources as well as a world renowned tourist destination. This is no place for a toxic open pit rare earth mine. While those in favor of the project argue that rare earths are vital for technology such as smart phones, lap tops, MRIs and cancer treatments it is important to note that the intended use of the majority of the rare earth ores extracted from this project are for the production of hybrid and electric vehicles. These vehicles labelled as ‘green technology’ can hardly be called so when the environmental destruction that occurs during the process of obtaining rare earths is taken into account. The technology already exists to produce hybrid and electric vehicles without the use of rare earth ores and many companies are even making use of recycling rare earth ores discarded from smart phones and other hand held electronic devices in producing their vehicles. It is alarming that this project is receiving support from local and provincial government bodies prior to the completion of environmental impact assessments and without consideration of social acceptability. In 2012, 17 out of 20 mayors of the local municipalities voted in favor of the proposed project. Recently, Matamec announced the financial contribution of 4 million dollars by Ressources Quebec into the project. For more information please visit www.kipawalakepreservationsociety.ca or contact Kipawa Lake Preservation Society P.O. Box 1 Temiscaming, Quebec J0Z 3R0 info@kipawalakepreservationsociety.ca The mission of the Kipawa Lake Preservation Society is to preserve the Kipawa watershed as it is, environmentally healthy and unpolluted, through constant dialogue, education and protective initiatives that involve the local population, general public, government officials and corporations directly or indirectly related to the Kipawa watershed.

Fair Elections Act: Eligibility Smoke Screen for Seven Other Deadly Sins

Fair elections act: 242-page Bill C-23 By Laura Payton, CBC News Posted: Apr 15, 2014 5:00 AM ET| Last Updated: Apr 15, 2014 6:38 AM ET
The vouching issue draws attention away from the other aspects of the bill. This is one of several articles that helps us see through this ruse. I read the Canadian public was not very engaged in the issues around this bill. I do hope that is not true or else we will deserve what we get. One year isn't long enough for the commissioner of Canada Elections to investigate before the records are destroyed. The new rules also don't require companies or parties to keep the list of phone numbers called. The shifting of powers from a non-partisan authority to partisan entities is democratically inappropriate. TRUE electoral reform would involve: like proportional representation, improving ease of voting, reaching out, dealing with voter apathy and non-voters, mandatory voting, improving funding rules, increasing voter education, improving voting procedures, tightening qualifications of candidates, making false campaign promises illegal, no personal attacks, required receipts, accountability
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/03/21/conservatives_keep_electoral_reform_documents_secret.html
In an unusual move, the Privy Council Office has refused to release all but three pages of a 199-page transition binder prepared for Poilievre when he assumed his cabinet post in July 2013. Citing cabinet confidence, the department also heavily censored the three pages they released, including a table of contents with most of the contents blacked out. There is a provision in the bill that the registry and records of automated robocalls will not have to be kept until after the 2015 election. Now, why would the Harper Conservatives put such a provision in the bill? The guy who called the supporters of his opponent, misdirecting them to the wrong polling station and thereby winning the riding, gets to pick the people who, among other things, decide who gets to vote and who doesn't." As has been noted before, many people did not vote *for* the Conservatives, but rather, voted *against* the Liberals. With shenanigans like this, genuine "conservatives" will think twice about re-electing these gangsters. The riding splitting going on in Conservative ridings where you take one riding and divide it into 2 or 4. This is sneaky beyond description. 1: Fair Elections Act 2: Riding splitting In 2012 there were 308 ridings. Harper has split predominately strong Conservative ridings into smaller ones so now in Canada there are 338 ridings increasing his chances of winning again by 30 more seats. This is exactly why no one political party should have the opportunity to make changes to election law without all parties supporting the changes and after due consideration of the opinion of experts in the field. Write your MP, write ALL of the senators in your province and tell them what you think of this bill. Remind them that their job is to ensure that legislation approved by the senate must serve the people of the province they represent and the country as a whole. Remind them that this is the Senate's opportunity to prove its relevance. It is an unexpected and timely opportunity to show Canadians exactly what the original intent of the "house of sober second thought" is all about, and at the same time show us why the Senate is needed in 2014. This type of correspondence is never read by the recipient. A team of employees processes the response according to guidelines and templates. Your MP or senator never sees it. All email addresses can be found at Parliament of Canada. I emailed all conservative M.P's and conservative Senators and copied Mr. Mulcair, Mr. Trudeau and Ms. May. Specifically, that Elections Canada could no longer promote education about democratic voting rights and procedures in the education system. One of the features of the education systems of the advanced Nordic nations - where about 80%-plus voter turnouts is normal - is their emphasis on citizenship education. Also required: basic education about our financial system and financial life planning. With this bill, all records from the 2011 Robocall investigation would be subject to destruction. This is one of the bills primary goals: To destroy existing evidence that could in turn destroy all Conservative legitimacy to govern for years to come. Party appointed election workers, is patronage at the polls.The people at the polls can know who are party members in any riding. If a party member arrives without proper id the worker can easily discreetly let them vote.Just Imagine the winning party getting to select all the people that work at the poll. Supervisor,deputy returning officer, clerks etc. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservatives-losing-ground-grim-polling-numbers-suggest-1.2555858 Challenging the results of the next election based on this bill could take years as we have already witnessed.Missing from this list is the all important and badly needed ability on the part of EC to compel evidence relating to matters being investigated. Also, the Bill would remove the EC investigator out of EC and over to public prosecutions, which is controlled by the Justice Minister. Harper once said we wouldn't recognize Canada when he was through with it...in 1938 another leader said this..."Give me 10 years and you won't recognize Germany again." No power for Elections Canada to compel testimony in an investigation... probably because the first people they would interview if given the power would be persons of interest from the Conservative who declined to be interviewed during the 2011 robocalls investigation... note the Conservative members in the Senate did not advocate for this power Why don't parties have to provide receipts for election expense reimbursements? Ordinary Canadians have to provide receipts to insurance companies, CRA, and businesses in order to get reimbursements or credits. Why are political parties exempt? This just starts them off with a sense of entitlement. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senate-panel-to-push-for-changes-to-proposed-fair-elections-act-1.2610003 "The new provisions will take effect only on the day Parliament is dissolved and an election begins — as long as this occurs six months after the bill becomes law." http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Robocalls+registry+place+next+federal+election/9737864/story.html We know the legislation removes the investigation power from Elections Canada and brings it under potential political influence in the justice department. We know that the harperites will interfere in routine police operations (High River). Elections in Canada give the illusion that Canada is a democracy when it is not as long as the political system forces party members to follow the party line. Experts are saying that this Act is not compatable with the Charter and will likely be thrown out by the courts when challenged. This act is actually doing some good by waking up Canadians to Harper's not so hidden agenda. Power at all costs. Even Conservative Senators see how insane this bill is and how much Poilievre is acting like a far-right nut and party hack. Committees are needed to draw up and make changes to the Elections Act and consult with the elections experts. The driving motivation behind this bill is revenge on Elections Canada, pure and simple. Revenge as a motive always leads to disaster. The bill requires the Commissioner of Canada Elections and the Director of Public Prosecutions to keep their rulings on complaints about election law violations secret, which will make it impossible for Canadians to know if they have made fair rulings. Elections Canada should have all the power it needs to root out any false or misleading Information.. Such as sending people to the wrong poles or misleading robocalls. Elections Canada should not have to answer to any party and be independent or any Government involvement. Then there is the Notification of investigation .. The law does not have to tell a person that may be doing something wrong.. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/rcmp-investigate-threatening-letter-written-to- poilievre/article17998819/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Globe %20Politics&utm_type=text&utm_content=GlobePolitics&utm_campaign=115616201 What has been particularly offensive throughout the debate of the bill is the arrogance and lack of respect displayed by Harper, Poilievre and some Conservative MPs and Senators, towards respected elections experts and witnesses who voiced legitimate concerns regarding the bill. This government's inability and refusal to engage in mature and reasonable debate and its insistence in rushing legislation is very disfunctional behaviour and damaging to Canada. "Fair elections act:
7 things you may not know"
1. Party-appointed election workers The winning candidate of the previous election — the member of Parliament — choose some of the workers at polling stations. The candidate would select the deputy returning officers, central poll supervisors and poll clerks. Clause 20 would allow a returning officer to refuse appointments on "reasonable grounds."
2. New spending loopholes Clause 86 lets political parties spend as much as they want on election fundraising from people who have contributed $20 or more in the last five years using calls, emails or mailouts. Spending caps ensure an even playing field for all candidates so the change favours richer and established parties to the detriment of small and especially newer parties.
3. CEO gag order The bill's clause 7 would allow the Chief Electoral Officer only five topics:
■How to become a candidate.
■How voters can add their names to the voters list or have it corrected.
■How voters can cast ballots.
■How voters can prove their identity and address.
■How voters with disabilities can get into polling stations and mark their ballots. and no longer be able to alert the public to problems during an election or even to work with programs that teach students about civic affairs and how elections work.
4. Notification of investigation The commissioner of Canada Elections — would have to tell people they are being investigated unless that might compromise or hinder the investigation.
5. Using the voter information card Approximately 400,000 Canadians living on reserves, in long-term care or studying at post-secondary institutions used their VICs as proof of address.Bill C-23 would ban that option. Those without a driver's licence may be unable to prove their address. About 250,000 Canadians move during a five-week election campaign, making some IDs out of sync with their addresses for a few weeks.
6. No party spending audits
7. Robocalls gaps Here is another look at it: 1. Take control of ballots allowed and ballots counting. (Party appointed election workers. - To let an MP turn his riding into a fiefdom. ) 2. Enrich CPC coffers and avoid accountability. (New spending rules - to make sure money can control the government. ) 3. Keep corruption secret. (CEO gag order - to stop the independent watchdog from promoting democracy. ) 4. Get early warning of any investigation. (Notification of investigation - to give crooked MPs time to bury the evidence..) 5. Confuse and disenfranchise voters. (No voter ID cards - to stop students, poor people, and anyone who doesn't drive from voting. ) 6. No receipts required from us. Soak the taxpayer. No one can prove it. (No audits - so no one can see how money controls politics. ) 7. Hide all evidence of corruption a.s.a.p. (Robocall gaps) 8. Whatever we do, don't give Elections Canada any useful auditing powers. If it does find something on us, he... » Are you as disgusted by this as I am? Then do something about it. Send a tweet to a Conservative MP in your riding. Get on your Facebook page and tell your friends. Get active because right now our democracy and freedoms are at risk. http://openparliament.ca/politicians/ Keep parties and candidates from tricking voters with false election promises or advertising, and from breaking election promises willy nilly. On the flip side of that, the commissioner of Canada Elections — the person who investigates possible wrongdoing under the Elections Act — would have to tell people being investigated about the probe." This, to me, sounds exactly like what Mr. Mulcair accused Mr. Harper of when he said this is clearly an attempt to cheat on the next election in advance. What possible good could come of warning the party that is under investigation that you are being investigated? Unfortunately for the next government, this is the latest Bill of an ever lengthening list that it will have to devote its efforts towards repealing. Unfortunately for Canadians, we'll have to wait 18 more months before this process can start. Of course this presumes there won't be another Conservative majority.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Return on Investment or... Preservation of Capital?

The banks are offering practically nothing for interest, inflation is high for food and energy, housing prices are unaffordable.

Meanwhile the government is printing money to pay its bills.

Stocks are being pumped by market manipulation with all this extra cash and valuations of some firms is well beyond reasonable payback.

What does a reasonable investor do?


Canadian Rivers

Canadian Rivers
I speak for river users too!

The Queen is not amused!

The Queen is not amused!
http://www.ispeakforcanadianrivers.ca/

The Damned Dam - 2005 -

The Damned Dam - 2005 -
22nd Annual Kipaw Rally has modest turnout. - 23rd does better

The Ashlu river: it could happen to you

The Ashlu river: it could happen to you

Whitewater Ontario

Whitewater Ontario
Working Hard to Protect Canada's Paddling Resources

Whitewater Ontario - Mission Statement

It is Whitewater Ontario’s mission to support the whitewater paddling community through the promotion, development and growth of the sport in its various disciplines. We accomplish this through the development of events, resources, clubs, and programs for personal and athletic development, regardless of skill level or focus, to ensure a high standard of safety and competency; We advocate safe and environmentally responsible access and use of Ontario’s rivers. Whitewater Ontario is the sport governing body in the province, and represents provincial interests within the national body Whitewater Canada and the Canadian Canoe Association http://www.whitewaterontario.ca/page/mission.asp

Kipawa, Tabaret, and Opemican

Kipawa, Tabaret, and Opemican
If Hydro Quebec is not actively pursuing Tabaret what is that bite out of Opemican for?

Kipawa Dam: After

Kipawa Dam: After
Laniel Dam at 2006 Rally

Where is the Kipawa

Where is the Kipawa
Kipawa flows into lake Temiskamingue, running from Kipawa Lake, under hwy 101 in Quebec

Kipawa Dam

Kipawa Dam
laniel dam at 2004 River Rally

Tabaret is a Bad Idea

About the Kipawa



The best thing paddlers can do to help the cause of the Kipawa:

1. attend the rally and bring others including non paddlers to attend and buy beer and have fun

2. write your MP /MNA and raise the issue and post your objections -1 letter = 200 who didn't write

3. Write Thierry Vandal the CEO of Hydro Quebec strongly opposing the 132 MW standard decrying the use of "diversion" as the most environmentally inappropriate method of power production

4. Write Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec protesting that either the algonquin or the tabaret project will eliminate all other values on the Kipawa River by turning it into a dry gulch.

5. See if you can get other allied groups interested by showing your own interest, ie the Sierra Defense Fund, Earthwild, MEC, and so on.

6. Demand further consultation

7. Currently we are at the point where we need to sway public opinion and raise awareness.

However, if all else fails, don't get mad, simply disrupt, foment, and protest . The Monkey Wrench Gang.

Have you read Edward Abbey?

Important Addresses
CEO,Hydro Québec, 75 boul René Levesque, Montreal, P.Q., H2Z 1A4Caille.andre@hydro.qc.ca



Tabaret is a Bad Idea (Part Two)

Les Amis de la Riviere Kipawa is poised to use an application to the Federal Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus to ensure the Minster does what he is supposed to do, protect the public's right to navigate the water control structure at Laniel, Quebec using the Navigable Waters Protection Act. (see http://www.kipawariver.ca/)

In the now gutted Navigable Waters Protection Act lay the means by which the Minister of Transport could keep the public right of passage down our great Canadian Heritage, our rivers and streams which are threatened especially by resource corporations and power brokers such as Hydro Quebec.

These powerful entities continue to petition that 'this' river or 'that' stream is not navigable and therefore not protectable.
I don't say that dams and bridges should not be built, only that if they are, historical navigation rights should be considered and preserved by making reasonable accommodations for recreational boaters.

It is the Minister of Transport, in exercising the right to allow or disallow work on or over a navigable waterway is what keeps boats and recreational boaters plying our waterways.

To many recent cases launched in the Federal Court concerning the Navigable Waters Protection Act, most recently the case of the Humber Environment Group of Cornerbrook Newfoundland versus the Cornerbrook Pulp and Paper Company indicates that the important oversight is not being faithfully performed. Have we really come to the point now where we must say "such and such a stream is one foot deep, possessing so many cubic feet per second flow and so on?" The answer to this is... YES!

The honourable Mr. Justice John A. O'Keefe, ruled that it had not been shown that the river was navigable. How convenient was that to the Minister? But either the Minister of Transport acts to protect our rivers and streams as a public right or he does not and that means rivers and streams currently enjoyed by kayakers and canoists.

Enough of the cheating, and double-talk. Canadians! our rivers and streams are our own, lets urge the Minister of Transport and the our government to protect them.

Peter Karwacki

Tabaret is a Bad Idea (Part Three)

10 Reasons WhyTabaret is a Bad Idea1) Tabaret is too big. The station is designed to useevery drop of water available in the Kipawawatershed, but will run at only 44 percent capacity.We believe the Tabaret station is designed to usewater diverted from the Dumoine River into theKipawa watershed in the future. 2) The Tabaret project will eliminate the aquaticecosystem of the Kipawa River.The Tabaret project plan involves the diversion of a16-km section of the Kipawa River from its naturalstreambed into a new man-made outflow from LakeKipawa. 3) Tabaret will leave a large industrial footprint on thelandscape that will impact existing tourismoperations and eliminate future tourism potential. 4) The Tabaret project is an aggressive single-purposedevelopment, designed to maximize powergeneration at the expense of all other uses. 5) River-diversion, such as the Tabaret project, takinglarge amounts of water out of a river’s naturalstreambed and moving it to another place, is verydestructive to the natural environment. 6) The Kipawa River has been designated a protectedgreenspace in the region with severe limitations ondevelopment. This designation recognizes theecological, historical and natural heritage value ofthe river and the importance of protecting it.Tabaret will eliminate that value. 7) If necessary, there are other, smarter and morereasonable options for producing hydro power onthe Kipawa watershed. It is possible to build a lowimpactgenerating station on the Kipawa river, andmanage it as a “run-of-the-river” station, makinguse of natural flows while maintaining other values,with minimal impact on the environment. 8) The Kipawa watershed is a rich natural resource forthe Temiscaming Region, resonably close to largeurban areas, with huge untapped potential fortourism and recreation development in the future.Tabaret will severely reduce this potential. 9) Tabaret provides zero long-term economic benefitfor the region through employment. The plan is forthe station to be completely automated andremotely operated. 10) The Kipawa River is 12,000 years old. The riverwas here thousands of years before any peoplecame to the region. The Tabaret project will change all that.

Problems on a local River?

  • There is more to do as well but you have to do your research and above all, don't give up.
  • IN the meantime prepared a document itemizing the history of navigation of this spot and its recreational value. Use the Kipawa river history of navigation as a guide: see www.kipawariver.ca
  • Under the Ministry of Environment guidelines you have a set period of time to petition the change under the environmental bill of rights, you may have limited time to take this action. But it involves going to court for a judicial review of the decision.
  • 4. contact the ministry of natural resources officials and do the same thing.
  • 3. contact the ministry of the environment and determine if they approved the project
  • 2. determine if the dam was a legal dam, approved under the navigable waters protection act.
  • 1. research the decision and timing of it to determine if an environmental assessment was done.

Minden Ontario

Minden Ontario
Gull River Water control at Horseshoe lake

A History of Navigation on the Kipawa River

Prior to the environmental assessment there was no signage at the Laniel Dam

T-Shirts Area: These are available now!

T-Shirts Area: These are available now!
Send $25 and a stamped self addressed envelop for the Tshirt, and for the bumper sticker, a stamped and self addressed envelope with $5.00 for the bumper sticker to Les Amis de la rivière Kipawa, 80 Ontario St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1K 1K9 or click the link To purchase a Les Amis "T" contact Doug with the following information: Number of shirts:Sizes: Ship to Address: Method of Payment: cash, cheque and paypal, Shipto address:

Bumper Stickers Now Available

Bumper Stickers Now Available
Get your bumper sticker and show your support for the Kipawa Legal Fund ! - send $5.00 in a Stamped, self addressed envelope to: Peter Karwacki Box 39111, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 7X0