OTTAWA, ON --
May 29, 2008 -- Canada's Environment Minister,
John Baird, announced today that the Government
of Canada is investigating the discharge
of 960,000 cubic metres of raw sewage and
storm water into the Ottawa River in the
summer of 2006.
"Today, I can confirm
that Environment Canada is investigating
this incident," said Minister Baird.
"Our Government takes this matter very
seriously and will use all the resources
and authorities of the Federal Government
to get to the bottom of what happened."
The investigation is
being conducted under Section 36 of the
Fisheries Act, which states that, "no
person shall deposit or permit the deposit
of a deleterious substance of any type in
water frequented by fish or in any place
under any conditions where the deleterious
substance or any other deleterious substance
that results from the deposit of the deleterious
substance may enter any such water, unless
authorized by a regulation under the Fisheries
Act or another Act of Parliament."
"As a lifelong
resident of our city, I am obviously concerned
about the potential negative environmental
and health impacts that may have resulted
from this incident," said Minister
Baird. "While I cannot comment on the
details of the investigation, we certainly
want to ensure that an incident like this
does not happen in the future."
Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Government Invests $850,000
in Protecting and Conserving the St. Lawrence
through 5 ZIP Committees
Quebec City, Quebec
, May 23, 2008--- The Minister of Canadian
Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages
and Minister responsible for the Quebec
Region, the Honourable Josée Verner,
on behalf of the Honourable John Baird,
Minister of the Environment, today announced
the renewal of contribution agreements withfive
of the fourteen ZIP (area of prime concern)
committees in Quebec.
"The ZIP committees
do great work in helping to ensure the protection
and clean-up of the St. Lawrence,"
said Canada's Environment Minister John
Baird. "I am pleased to announce along
with my colleagues that our Government is
continuing its support for these important
organizations."
These contributions
will allow the Québec and Chaudière
Appalaches, Baie des Chaleurs, Rive Sud
de l'estuaire, Lac Saint-Pierre and Les
deux rives ZIP committees to implementlocally
determined priority actions in order to
protect, conserve, improve and rehabilitate
the St. Lawrence ecosystem.
"Community organizations
through their actions and interventions,
actively contribute to attaining concrete
environmental goals and are essential to
the protection and conservation of our ecosystems,"
said Minister Verner. "The Government
of Canada is again delivering the goods
and is proud to support these organizations
that, with these funds, will be able to
continue their important initiatives."
Nine other ZIP committees
along the St. Lawrence have also received
equivalent contributions from Environment
Canada, bringing the total contribution
to Stratégies Saint-Laurent and the
network of ZIP committees to $2.2M.
Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Government Invests $1000,000
in Protecting and Conserving the St. Lawrence
through 5 Zip Committees
Jonquière, Quebec,
May 23, 2008 - The Minister of Labour and
the Minister of the Economic Development
Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec,
the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, on
behalf of the Honourable John Baird, Minister
of the Environment, today announced the
renewal of contribution agreements totalling
$1000,000 with five of the fourteen ZIP
(areas of prime concern) committees in Quebec.
"The ZIP committees
do great work in helping to ensure the protection
and clean-up of the St. Lawrence,"
said Canada's Environment Minister John
Baird. "I am pleased to announce along
with my colleagues that our Government is
continuing its support for these important
organizations."
These contributions
will allow the ZIP committees in theAlma
Jonquière, ÎIes-de-la-Madeleine,
Saguenay, Gulf north shore and estuary south
shore to implement locally -- determined
priority actions in order to protect, conserve,
improve and rehabilitate the St. Lawrence
ecosystem.
"Community organizations
through their actions and interventions,
actively contribute to attaining concrete
environmental goals and are essential to
the protection and conservation of our ecosystems,"
said Minister Blackburn. "The Government
of Canada is again delivering the goods
and is proud to support these organizations
that, with these funds, will be able to
continue their important initiatives."
Nine other ZIP committees
along the St. Lawrence have also received
equivalent contributions from Environment
Canada, bringing the total contribution
to Stratégies Saint-Laurent and the
network of ZIP committees to $2.2M.
Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Government Invests $600,000
in Protecting and Conserving the St. Lawrence
through 4 ZIP Committees
Gatineau, Quebec, May
23, 2008 - The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure
and Communities, the Honourable Lawrence
Cannon, on behalf of the Honourable John
Baird, Minister of the Environment, today
announced the renewal of contribution agreements
totalling $600,000 with four of the fourteen
ZIP (areas of prime concern) committees
in Quebec.
"The ZIP committees
do great work in helping to ensure the protection
and clean-up of the St. Lawrence,"
said Canada's Environment Minister John
Baird. "I am pleased to announce along
with my colleagues that our Government is
continuing its support for these important
organizations."
These contributions
will allow the ZIP committees for the regions
of Seigneuries, Haut Saint-Laurent, Jacques
Cartier andVille Marie to implement locally
determined priority actions in order to
protect, conserve, improve and rehabilitate
the St. Lawrence ecosystem.
"Community organizations
through their actions and interventions,
actively contribute to attaining concrete
environmental goals and are essential to
the protection and conservation of our ecosystems,"
said Minister Cannon. "The Government
of Canada is again delivering the goods
and is proud to support these organizations
that, with these funds, will be able to
continue their important initiatives."
Ten other ZIP committees
along the St. Lawrence have also received
equivalent contributions from Environment
Canada, bringing the total contribution
to Stratégies Saint-Laurent and the
network of ZIP committees to $2.2M
Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
