The National Capital Commission (NCC) recently released its 2020 draft of the Gatineau Park Master Plan. Buried towards the end of the draft plan is a presentation of the advantages and the need for modernizing the park’s legal framework.
This may surprise readers who think Gatineau Park is a “real park” under a federal act. Sadly, Gatineau Park’s boundaries are currently not legislated, and as such lands can be sold, traded without parliamentary approval and houses are still being constructed on the remaining private land within the park. As the draft plan points out, legislation would firm up the park’s conservation mission and its protection, modernize pricing of activities, establish regulations and assign powers of protection.
I agree, we want a throne speech for adults. But we disagree on what being an adult means.
I am part of groups in the Ottawa region called Ottawa Reduces and For Our Kids. Together, these groups count more than 1,600 worried citizens. Over the past two weeks, a lot of conversations has been about getting the government to understand that we want this throne speech to bring systemic changes for a green and just recovery, not just a “modest, doable and reassuring” plan. We don’t have time for reassuring. California is on fire, and so was Australia in the winter. The fumes from California reached our city this week. The Earth is sending us cries of help. We don’t have time for modest.
The federal government has approved Ontario’s plan to charge industry for carbon pollution, even though it is “clearly weaker” than what Ottawa intended.
In a statement Monday, federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Premier Doug Ford’s program “meets the minimum stringency requirements” to replace Ottawa’s version and the government is “required” to sign off.
“However, the proposed Ontario system is clearly weaker than the federal backstop system that it would be replacing,” the statement said.
“It is therefore not consistent with a long-term climate plan aimed at significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”