I could say a lot on this one, because I've been taking the lead for a couple of years to have this act changed and reviewed. It goes back to examples of what has happened in provinces. We have many examples in our province of projects that have been delayed, and not for environmental reasons. That's the ironic part of all this. They were approved by the federal and provincial departments of environment, and fisheries and oceans.
I will give the example at this time of a bridge replacement at Whitesand River, located in the rural municipality of Insinger. The Department of Transport staff were insisting on a multi-plate culvert, at a cost of $400,000 to the municipality, to accommodate possible canoe travel. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans had already approved the use of three culverts, at a total cost of $125,000. The project was held up for over a year and was only settled after the federal election. We came down and presented our case to the navigable waters staff and said that it made no sense. It was on a waterway that only ran for about three to four weeks of the year, but they were insistent that we had to have it for canoe travel.
That's why we're here today to have changes to the definition of what is a navigable waterway. It's important, and if we can move this small part of it, as far as we're concerned, it will be huge for our members, but it will be small as far as what's in the act and the legislation is concerned.
We have numerous examples of where the approval process has been done in different departments and ministries, but it's held up because of the Navigable Waters Protection Act. That's why we're here today talking to Transport on this issue.