Environment committee  I could, and to be honest with you, that's where I differ a little from some of my colleagues, especially the ones in the environmental law areas. I know Josh Ginsberg personally. We've served on the Friends of Temagami board together. I think perhaps they are focusing a bit too narrowly on the wording of defining navigable waters as likely to be navigated by vessels.

Environment committee  There really isn't much of a definition. There never was. There's a bit of a myth—

Environment committee  Oh, you mean in the bill.

Environment committee  Yes, as I said in my statement, I do think that is adequate—

Environment committee  —to include paddle craft, and it's more specific. In the old Navigable Waters Protection Act there was no real definition. There was a common law definition of “float a canoe”. In 2009, when I appeared before the Senate committee, the department at that time was proposing a much more specific definition—i.e., 30 centimetres, but also waters that did not have a certain number of natural obstacles, dams, beaver dams, rapids, etc. in them.

Environment committee  Again, that depends on the implementation and whether the department has the resources, and whether they make it sufficiently clear to proponents that they must give notice of works to the public and how that happens. It's also whether the department has the resources to investigate complaints in a timely manner.

Environment committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Jay Morrison and I'm representing Paddle Canada today as the environment chair. I should also mention that I'm the secretary of the Canadian Safe Boating Council. Paddle Canada welcomes the opportunity to comment on Bill C-69. We have been engaged with the public right of navigation since amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act were first proposed in 2009.

Environment committee  One of the benefits of it, as you can see, is that it's just webbing. It's very light, very breathable, and there is no excuse not to wear it. I must confess that until I had a daughter, 10 years ago now, I would often not wear my life jacket if I was on warm waters that I could swim across.

Environment committee  I'm happy to give whatever time I have left to my two colleagues here. What I'm here to talk about is perhaps a little less relevant to you. I had hoped that there might be a few members of the transportation committee who might drop in as guests; I don't think there are. I'm going to focus mostly on the navigable waters aspect of the bill, even though I'm a current member of the board of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.