Jamie Dunn, water campaigner for the Council of Canadians, says that with the passage of bill C-6, an act to amend the International Boundary Waters Treaty, Canada's water is in danger of being exported in bulk.

Problems of bulk water export

Is Canadian water destined for foreign soil?

The Canadian government defines a bulk water export as any large-scale removal of water by manmade processes, such as canals, tankers, trucks or pipelines. The water is not necessarily moved out of the country, but it is exported from its original location at a rate of more than 50,000 litres per day.

"Taking water out of an environment has an impact," says Dunn.

Bulk water exports can lead to the introduction of invasive species and habitat destruction. Dunn also worries that bulk water exports commercialize one of our non-renewable resources.

Licence to sell?

Dunn criticizes the legislation for letting the minister of foreign affairs grant licences that allow water to be diverted or obstructed in Canadian lakes and rivers.

Critics have no reason to worry because the legislation doesn't allow bulk water exports, says Reynald Doiron, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs. 

"They are prohibited. Period."

Environment Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs say licences can be granted for projects, such as dams, to control water flow.

'Taking water out of an environment has an impact.'

Sections 13 and 16 of the act allow people with a licence to divert or obstruct water within a water basin. Dunn says these diversions could include bulk water export, because it's not spelled out explicitly that they won't.

Some of the water basins in question stretch from the Great Lakes to the southern U.S. As such, Dunn says this legislation allows water to be taken from the Great Lakes and diverted to Miami.

The council also complains that act doesn't mention coastal waters. The legislation only applies to water that lies on the Canada-U.S. border or flows between the two countries.

Support for the legislation

The International Joint Commission, established by the original 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty, deals with matters concerning bodies of water that lie along or flow across the border between Canada and the United States.

The commission has studied the effects of bulk water exports for the Canadian and American governments. It has recommended that the governments not let water be removed from the Great Lakes unless it can be proved that doing so would not harm the surrounding environment.

Some of the waters affected by the new legislation.

The commission is not concerned, because the legislation doesn't allow bulk water exports, spokesperson Fabien Lengellé says.

Water for sale

Dunn worries that water has been turned into a commodity.

Trade deals prohibit the Canadian government from outright banning bulk water exports, he says.  

But that's not the case, says the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Lake and river water in its natural state is not subject to the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Department of Foreign Affairs says water is protected, because it is a resource.

"That's not an opinion held by all NAFTA partners," Dunn says. "It is not in the agreement anywhere that water is protected."

Related Links Bulk Water Export Information The Blue Planet Project - Treaty Initiative Bill C-6