Canada Marine Act – Recommendations from Lake Ontario Waterkeeper

The Canada Marine Act essentially prohibits Port Authorities from taking the best interests of the public into account. Their sole mandate is to make a profit – for the Port Authorities, not for the municipalities or the wider public. If their activities prove detrimental to local, regional and national economies, they are not held to account. The focus is exclusively on their own profit.

Here are some excellent recommendations, drafted by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, for improving this legislation: Click Here . They are important to consider, since a parliamentary committee is presently considering amendments to the legislation which would enable Port Authorities to apply for federal funds – not loans, but grants – for infrastructure improvement and expansion, thus putting Port Authorities in direct competition with municipalities for federal infrastructure funding.

In Hamilton, we need serious investment in drainage infrastructure. It is not a huge leap in logic to suggest that some of our drainage and flooding issues are because the natural drainage system – ancient streams – have been filled in or culverted. It would be truly ironic if the HPA were to get federal funding to improve drainage on their lands, when the filling they have been doing may well have contributed significantly to the drainage challenges our city is facing.

Let’s get informed, and then get involved.

~ by gregreader on February 9, 2008.