Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ladies and gentlemen, my name is John Edwards. I'm the domestic development director of CanoeKayak Canada. I'm joined by Anne Merklinger, the director general of CanoeKayak Canada.
We are an organization with 50,000 members in Canada. We are one of Canada's oldest sporting organizations, founded in 1900. We are the organization that is responsible for putting Olympic athletes on the podium for Canada at the Olympic Games, whether they be in the sport of flat-water canoeing, marathon canoeing, or whitewater canoeing.
Also, we are a regular attendee at the annual meetings of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council and we are on the Standing Committee on Recreational Boating to advise the Office of Boating Safety and ultimately Transport Canada on issues of safety with regard to recreational boating in Canada. We take those responsibilities very seriously.
I will point out that committee members have received a handout. I'm not going to speak directly to that, but it has more detail.
There are three key points we wish to communicate this evening.
First of all, the Canadian identity is entirely wrapped up with the rivers of Canada. As has been pointed out, it is considered a birthright of Canadians. It is founded in the deepest traditions of our common law, the common law combined beautifully with the aboriginal considerations for access to the waters of Canada. In a unique way, we have combined the heritages of the two main peoples of Canada.
I ask you these questions. With this heritage that is so important, will the iPod generations know nothing of the old Canada? Surely not. Are the rivers of Canada in the way of the new Canada? Are they barriers? Surely not.
There is an economic aspect to this. There is a new and emerging tourism economy in Canada. The act did not foresee that when it was originally drafted, but that is surely the case today. Canoe and kayak touring and ecotourism have become a major part of the economic life of much of rural Canada. Rural Canada struggles to find economic purpose in this country. Please don't take another piece of economic development away from rural Canada.
Last and most important is safety. Ladies and gentlemen, obstructions are hazards by definition. They are threats to life and limb. How will the public be warned about hazards on newly non-navigable waterways? Will there be signs up at every point of public access to the newly non-navigable waterways? Safety issues need to be thoroughly reviewed in this matter. We're not confident that has been the case.
In closing, the members of CanoeKayak Canada, like all taxpayers, wish the Government of Canada to operate in the most efficient and focused manner in order that we can have the best government at minimal cost. There appear to be anecdotal examples where the NWPA has been carried too far in its implementation. We would be pleased to work with the government and other stakeholders on the above-noted issues to ensure the NWPA is applied appropriately in the 21st century. We don't think this has ever been done with Canada's paddling communities. We think the committee members are well aware of what an effective and full public consultation is, after having just gone through an election.
We are also well aware of the need for the government to expedite infrastructure spending in the near term of two years. We respectfully suggest the Budget Implementation Act of 2009 be amended to permit Transport Canada to retain additional staff to expedite these approvals.
Finally, we recommend that the NWPA amendment section of the bill be removed from the Budget Implementation Act of 2009 so that a proper consultation can occur.
Thank you very much for your time.