Stop Stephen Harper’s Assault on our National Parks | Elizabeth May.
Unlike our current Prime Minister’s attack on climate policy and push for every pipeline and tanker in sight, this one is flying under the radar. In fact, Conservative Party talking points make great claims of having expanded the national park system.
The following is from the Conservative Party website:
Since 2006, the Government has taken significant action to protect our natural areas, including taking steps to add more than 160,000 square kilometres to the Canadian federal parks and marine conservation system — a more than 58 per cent increase…
And it is actually true that new parks, especially in the far north have added huge tracts of lands to the parks. But like a Trojan horse, within this gift is the destruction of the standards of ecological integrity that are necessary to maintain national parks — our highest order of conservation and protection.
I have already written of the disaster that is Sable Island National Park in Nova Scotia. This iconic island is famous for its dunes and wild ponies. I was the only MP to oppose the legislation that allowed for seismic testing inside the park and directional oil and gas drilling under it. The legislation for Sable Island National Park places the Canada-Nova Scotia Off-shore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) as the key regulator. The CNSOPB only has to inform Parks Canada about oil and gas activities inside the park; not consult even consult in advance.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
