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Great Lakes Annex 2004The Council of Canadians is calling on the federal government to stop the Great Lakes Annex 2001 and protect all of Canada’s waters from water diversions. An organization known as the Council of Great Lakes Governors has released a series of agreements known as the Annex 2001 that would authorize the diversion of Great Lakes waters, jeopardizing the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world and a source of drinking water for 40 million people in Canada and the U.S. The Annex 2001 fails our Great Lakes in three crucial areas: science, sustainability, and sovereignty. The Annex 2001 will establish a scheme that authorizes the diversion of Great Lakes waters without limit. It makes no distinction between water uses inside the Great Lakes water basin and water uses outside the Great Lakes ecosystem – leaving the door open to long-distance water removals and even water exports. With only 1% of the Great Lake waters being renewed every year, the science is still out on whether or not we are already consuming more than can be sustained. Experts are warning that if implemented, the Annex 2001 could lead to an environmental disaster. Moreover, the Annex agreement is being driven by several U.S. states. The Annex 2001 is composed of two agreements: a non-binding agreement amongst Ontario, Quebec, and the eight U.S. states bordering the Great Lakes, and also a binding agreement known as the Compact. The Compact is exclusive to the eight U.S. states and authorizes the diversion of Great Lakes waters without limit. Under this Compact, Canadians will not have a role in approving these water diversions, regardless of their duration, scale, or impact on our shared waters. This undermines Canadian share of control and responsibility over Great Lakes waters and all of our shared waters as a result. By allowing the Council of Great Lakes Governors to make this water grab, our federal government is abdicating its responsibility to protect Canada’s shared waters and is allowing U.S. economic development interests to set the agenda for Great Lakes water management. In addition, the Annex 2001 would not be able to withstand challenges from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and could increase our exposure to the threats of faulty international trade agreements. Why is our federal government remaining silent while the provinces rubber-stamp what is clearly a unilateral U.S. water grab? Congratulations Council of Canadians Chapters! From July 21 to October 18, 2004 the Council of Great Lakes Governors and the governments of Ontario and Quebec held public meetings to find out what Canadians thought about the proposed Great Lakes Annex. Council of Canadians chapters from across Ontario and Quebec came out in full force. They made sure that the provincial and federal governments, the Council of Great Lakes Governors, and the people of their communties knew how grave a threat the Annex posed to the Great Lakes. Due to much hard work by chapter activists, by the end of the public consultation period hundreds of people were turning out to meetings and making their concerns known. Congratulations and a heart-felt thank you to the Council of Canadians chapters for their tremendous efforts. Please take a minute to read their submissions to the Council of Great Lakes Governors. 2004 Chapter Submissions |
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Great Lakes Annex
Call 1-800-387-7177, or email inquiries@canadians.org, to find out how you can help protect Canada's water.
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updated
January 18, 2007
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