bushart

Ontario's issues are hindered by a high Canadian dollar---driven up by natural resorces (oil) and a weak American economy Ontario's manufacturing lives and dies by the value of our $$$--ask the now unemployed Cat workers in London their thoughts?? But all this aside---has ZIPPO to do with the Cons sliding these changes to the fisheries act in under the sly no surprise though---when your covered in oil---you tend to be slippery

You mean packaging it up---putting a bow on it and voting on it with the budget---is peculiar?? So now---if you vote against the budget---your standing in the way of jobs and growth for hard working Canadians. Can you hear it Now?

Really??? well you lost the long gun registry---so call it even Fish are probably just poopin in that water anyway---messin it all up

Yeah---I think we all need a trip to BC

May be time to address the root problem The scouting team must need work----when's the last time they drafted anyone that worked well?? Luke Schenn? Say what you want about the Sens---they've drafted some good uns---can't be all just luck I'd re-think scouting when your guttin the team

uhhh??--pretty sure they did'nt campaign on gutting the fisheries act to fast-track environmental assessment I too make sure I'm involved and informed----up to and including the kudos paid to me by Dr> David Schindler on my oil sands art piece

Yeah Simon I don't want to throw too many logs on the fire----but online one can find a speech Stevie gave to a group of US republicans before he became PM---he alluded to how he'd change Canada Guess he was true to his word Notice I did'nt even utter the words wheat board soon to be US Food Inc---that'll be yet another discussion

See I knew that but did'nt want to talk for ya Doc

Well on that note--I have become informed and once you do become informed is the point it gets scary and Re: Criticizing politicians---good luck with that---you may be unhappy but they are given a 4-5 year lease to work their agenda and all the complaining won't change that Now votes----that tells them if your happy or dis-satisfied with their performance. Me---I liken it to---ice fisherman going out on open ended ice on Simcoe and then asking why after the fact----maybe they should get informed on the possible results so the same in the election---I got informed and voted the best way I thought---I may have lost But my research is proving true.

Here's a timely Mercer Rant on this issue---maybe somebody can pop it up?

Pretty well every paper in the country is carrying this today from coast to coast consensus also is saying that they're going to attach this bill along with the budget--to cloak it I guess I should just always expect the worst and then I'm never surprised

All valid points RC I believe what the final nail was-----pollutants do not naturally occur on top of snow and levels they found within a 50 km radius of the oilsands was equivelant to an oil tanker wreck spewing into the Athabaca river during runoff I look at it this way---one would have to take the federal Cons---the Alta Cons and the oil industry kicking and screaming into that 3rd party monitoring if they could prove it naturally occuring thus the change IMO

Uhh---I'm not a mod guys---just tryin to not get this important topic into lockdown sooo--if we can not jab shots may be cool

I don't know how to answer this?? Everybody knows we need oil currently----but it took Dr. David Schindler from the U of Alta to prove that letting the oil industry monitor itself is a bad idea there was an untruth floating around that pollutants in the Athabsca river were naturally occuring---till Dr. Schindler proved them wrong----now suddenly there's 3rd party monitoring and then environment minister John Baird had to eat some crow. You see they will not install whatever pollution controls needed to stop what's ending up in that river and poisoning the lives downstream and that huge lake.

I'm not sure what stand we can take?? People in the oil patch are bathing in dollars so they're not sayin much There was an online news article in the Globe and Mail on the pipeline and the Native reserves it must pass through----and typically they leave comments at the end of the story for readers Well I was surprised to see approx 500 responses---at 1st--much looking after the environment stuff---but near the end---man attitudes were flyin-----some people (I believe with interests)were saying that if the natives don't let it through---they should cut off their funding---I thought...Wow---they went that far!! Also---yesterday(Tues) in Ottawa---Natives and the sports and commercial fisherman were meeting on this in Ottawa. Also---lets not forget---The US had a major uproar and turned down Keystone xl (for now) for possible environmental reasons---pretty sure "Our" Great Bear Rainforest is sensitive

Hey all--I'm back. @ Doc---yes I remember having those voting LG discussions here last election @ Gerritt---yes sad but true that not many will get worked up over this---but---if that oil spills over into something like the Skeena river system---then everyone will notice or if Prince Rupert becomes Cordova Alaska (Exxon Valdez) I will differ on some views though--our current gov't is taking a Bush style---your either with us or against us approach on too much---like the Vic Toews thing---with us or child pornographers Or we're enemies to Canada for questioning the northern gateway now gutting this fisheries act to please his oil based neighbors

I guess that's why I can complain

Well your maybe a leg up on some of us Matt---as I believe your a bit younger--but if they push oap up to 67 it's gonna affect a few of us. But this last visit to China was sealin that pipeline deal----we all now know the Chinese hold the majority share in syncrude---and they'll want their oil So now environmental assessment needs to be fast-tracked to consumate their agreement Man everyone knows that the west coast never is susceptible to things like earthquakes ---wonder what that does to a pipeline Seen the footage of the Enbridge pipeline spill in Michigan??

This stuff is makin me sick guys According to a Calgary paper a while ago they reported that---a non profit group called "Forest ethics" spoke up against the pipeline---one guy had to be fired because the gov't threatened to yank it's charitable status. It seems--this ultra capitalistic greed agenda---if you question the plan---your an enemy to Canada. I'm starting to not recognize the place anymore.

I have been purposely avoiding "Any" political talks as they usually go wide And man---there's been lots But the latest touches on Fisheries and the Environment And correct me if I'm wrong---but is this not why we're here? I'm just more than a lttle Po'd on the roughshod ride that's going on---and just a bit ticked to type You decide??...From Today's Vancouver Sun.. OTTAWA - The Harper government did not challenge Tuesday opposition allegations that it is poised to “gut” legislation that has been a key tool for decades in forcing industrial and natural resource projects to go through environmental reviews. “There has been absolutely no decision made with regard to this issue,” Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield told the House of Commons when confronted with the allegations of a former federal fisheries biologist. Ashfield’s office later released a statement reiterating that no decision has been made but that changes are needed. “Federal fisheries policies designed to protect fish are outdated and unfocused in terms of balancing environmental and economic realities.” Former bureaucrat Otto Langer made public Monday proposed wording changes in the federal Fisheries Act that he said would make it easier for projects like Calgary-based Enbridge Inc.’s Northern Gateway pipeline to B.C. to clear federal hurdles. Langer, who worked for the federal government for 32 years, said he was told the change would be included in upcoming federal omnibus legislation following the March 29 budget. The changes would prohibit activity that would cause an “adverse effect” on “fish of economic, cultural or ecological value.” The law currently bans activity that results in the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat. The New Democratic Party leaped on the issue, accusing the government of engineering a major reversal in environmental policy. “The Conservative government is systematically dismantling environmental protection and regulation,” NDP fisheries critic Fin Donnelly said. “By eliminating provisions to protect fish habitat, they can push through their agenda of pipelines, oil super tankers, mega-mines and other projects that harm the environment.” In question period, Donnelly asked if the government had a plan to “gut” the legislation, prompting Ashfield’s response that a decision on amending the act hadn’t been made. “I will note that Canada is blessed with an abundant array of natural resources of which we should be proud and which we take seriously and responsibly to conserve and protect,” Ashfield added. The new wording leaked to Langer includes numerous exemptions to give the minister “or a person prescribed by the regulations” the authority to permit activities that would have an “adverse effect” on fish considered of value. The changes, if enacted, would result in the total rewriting of the legislation to remove habitat protection provisions that have been in place since 1976, said Langer, who worked for the David Suzuki Foundation after leaving the federal government but is now retired. Langer pointed out that the Enbridge pipeline would cross hundreds of rivers and streams, so looser federal legislation would be a major break for the Calgary company. Langer said the “subjective and ambiguous” new wording would make the law extremely difficult to enforce. “For instance, what is a fish of economic, cultural or ecological value?” he asked. An intense behind-the-scenes lobbying battle has been waged over the Fisheries Act’s habitat provisions, especially in Alberta and B.C. More than three dozen industry and environmental groups registered as lobbyists in Ottawa have raised concerns about the issue, according to the lobbyist registry. “Some of the largest and most complex natural resource and industrial development projects across the country are affected by Fisheries Act requirements, which are consistently identified as one of the top federal regulatory irritants by stakeholders across the country,” says a 2011 briefing note prepared for Ashfield. The briefing note, obtained by Postmedia News through the Access to Information Act, said the legislation’s habitat protection provisions are “one of the most frequent triggers” of federal assessments under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. An assessment act review “can occur for a project of any size, and across many sectors of the economy,” such as construction, urban development, agriculture, nature resource development. The briefing note said there’s a “strong contingent” of environmental groups advocating in favour of protecting fish habitat, while industry groups are advocating their own economic interests. “As minister you will be required to manage these often competing interests in order to balance protection of fish and fish habitat resources with other social, environmental and economic objectives of importance.” Among the corporate lobbyists raising concerns about the Fisheries Act are the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, the Business Council of B.C., the Canadian Electricity Association, the Canadian Hydropower Association, EnCana Corp., Teck Resources Ltd., The Mining Association of Canada, the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, the Council of Forest Industries, and the Saskatchewan Power Corp. Environmentalist and social activist groups include the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice Canada, the World Wildlife Fund Canada, MiningWatch Canada, the Pembina Institute, and Environmental Defence Canada. Former auditor general Sheila Fraser, in a 2009 report, said protecting fish habitat is important “not only for fish, but also for human health and recreational use. Healthy habitat—places where fish can spawn, feed, grow, and live—is a fundamental requirement for sustaining fish, providing food and shelter for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, and contributing to water quality for human consumption and other uses.” A senior official with the Council of Forest Industries, one of the industry associations which has lobbied on the Fisheries Act, refused to say whether the current wording is an irritant. “There’s no question in our mind that many pieces of legislation, including the fisheries legislation, could be made more efficient from an administrative point of view, and therefore lower our operating costs and improve our competitiveness without compromising the conservation goals and objectives of the legislation,” said Doug Routledge, the organization’s vice-president of forestry. (With files from Mike De Souza, Postmedia News) Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Canada+poised+roll+back+fish+protection+laws+biologist+claims/6295564/story.html#ixzz1p2SOnLAm

I'm thinkin shorts and sandals soon with these temps. This is an official old guy alert-----A lot of times ice does'nt get thin---it just goes rotten

I bought one spool once...there will not be a twice

You Da Man.........AGAIN!!!

Beauty

Just watched the news---scary Reports are saying they've been warning about ice conditions for a week now AND the rescuers almost ended in a jackpot Me personally--would not go on ice right next to open water--But I've been around lots This could have been bad