Presumed Abundance and Revealed Neglect in The
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Introduction 1 P R E S U M E D A B U N D A N C E AND REVEALED NEGLECT IN THE MACKENZIE WATERSHED NOVEMBER 2011 CANADA’S GREAT BASIN P R E S U M E D A B U N D A N C E AND REVEALED NEGLECT IN THE MACKENZIE WATERSHED NOVEMBER 2011 CANADA’S GREAT BASIN 02 Introduction Canada’s Great Basin The MACKENZIE RIVER BASIN Introduction 03 TABLE OF CONTENTS BRIEFING WATER Map 04 GOVERNANCE 04 Executive Summary 05 14 Northern Water Jurisdictions 14 The NWT Water Strategy vs. Ottawa 14 Yukon Government Priorities 16 Participation of Aboriginal Governments 17 INTRODUCTION Asserting Legal Rights 17 Target Audience 06 The Role of Other Players 18 06 Methodology 06 Acknowledgements 06 Northern Waters: What’s at Stake? 06 RECOMMENDATIONS Governments 20 20 Foundations and Other Non-Governmental THREATS Organizations 21 AND CONCERNS 08 Alberta Oil Sands 08 Site C and Other Hydroelectric Projects 09 Resource Development CLOSING THOUGHTS Pressures 10 Closing Thoughts 22 Climate Change 12 22 Appendix A The Mackenzie Waterscape 24 Appendix B Interviews 25 References 26 04 Introduction Canada’s Great Basin THE MACKENZIE RIVER BASIN INUVIK Peel River NORTH WEST TERRITORIES YUKON Great Bear Lake WHITEHORSE Mackenzie River Nahanni River NUNAVUT YELLOWKNIFE Great Slave Lake Liard River Hay River Slave River BRITISH COLUMBIA Lake Athabasca Williston Lake Peace River FORT MCMURRAY GRANDE PRAIRIE Athabasca River SASKATCHEWAN EDMONTON ALBERTA water flow LEGEND: SUB-BASINS: PEEL, MACKENZIE MAIN STEM AND GREAT BEAR LAKE, GREAT SLAVE, ATHABASCA, PEACE, LIARD INDUSTRIAL PRESSURES: MACKENZIE DELTA NATURAL GAS FIELDS, MACKENZIE GAS PROJECT, OIL SANDS, W.A.C. BENNETT DAM, PROPOSED SITE C DAM, DUNVEGAN DAM Introduction 05 KEY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THIS REPORT INCLUDE EXECUTIVE THE FOLLOWING: GOVERNMENTS • All jurisdictions in the basin SUMMARY commit to fair, equitable and binding transboundary agreements on water use in the region. • The federal government supports implementation of the water stewardship strategy outlined by the Northwest Territories, which outlines concrete initiatives within defined timeframes. • Government authorities work with f water is spilled on a map of Canada, the Aboriginal governments to strengthen water flows down, flows south. Yet most Aboriginal rights and institutions, of Canada’s freshwater runs north into critical elements of both an effective I the Arctic Ocean, and most of this via one transboundary framework and grand river – the Mackenzie. implementation of the NWT water The Mackenzie River Basin is a global strategy. treasure. It is one of the world’s most • The federal government works with spectacular and ecologically significant jurisdictions in the basin to implement watersheds, providing enormous life- a world class water monitoring sustaining, cultural and spiritual value for program and support credible, both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal independent water research. communities that live there. Yet the Mackenzie now faces many threats to its FOUNDATIONS AND OTHER natural state, including the effects of the NON-GOVERNMENTAL Alberta oil sands on downstream water ORGANIZATIONS quality and quantity and a mega-dam • Organizations work to raise public proposed in British Columbia known as “Site provinces and three territories), and thus awareness of the importance of the C”. The impulse to develop natural resources its stewardship is shared between several Mackenzie River Basin and Northern in the North is also very strong, and current levels of government. Some steps have been water issues among all Canadians, not legislative policy makes it difficult for taken to improve its management, such as the just Northerners. local communities to oppose or augment new Northwest Territories Water Strategy. • Foundations and NGOs do more to proposed projects. Despite major advances However, agreements between upstream and seed and support diverse coalitions in regulatory frameworks and cooperative downstream jurisdictions that would define while facilitating relationships management, particularly resulting from a joint framework for its protection have between Northern Aboriginal groups land claim agreements in the far north, there yet to be made. Meanwhile, pressures for and other key stakeholders. are still bound to be negative impacts on further upstream and downstream resource • Further appointment of Aboriginal communities within the watershed in terms development continue to grow. representatives to boards of of their well-being and traditional way of life. This report outlines the major obstacles to foundations and NGOs, as well as in The difference between north and south of maintaining the ecological and community advisory positions. 60° is rather stark in this respect. values of the Mackenzie and compiles a • Foundations and NGOs facilitate and The protection of water in the Mackenzie series of recommendations for governments, fund research and education, including is complicated by the fact that its borders foundations and other non-governmental traditional knowledge and community- extend into six jurisdictions (three actors. based water monitoring initiatives. 06 Introduction Canada’s Great Basin INTRODUCTION “Water and the land is like blood in the body. If you pollute or cut off water, the land will die. Water is fundamental to all life and we must work together to protect it.” — CHIEF CHARLIE FOOTBALL, GAMETI, NWT 1 uch of Canada’s fresh water flows north NORTHERN WATERS: WHAT’S AT STAKE? into the Arctic Ocean via one grand By and large, Aboriginal cultures worldwide share a “We have a unique opportunity waterway. The 1,800-km Mackenzie reverence for and dependence on the land. “People to learn from the mistakes of River, fed by countless tributaries and generally ask two questions: is the water safe to others, to get things right from M trickles, is the main artery of a drainage basin that drink and is the caribou safe to eat?” says David the start, to fi nd innovative spans one-fifth of the country. Though seemingly Livingstone, a consultant with the Northwest ways to address the myriad of abundant and unspoiled, these Northern waters are Territory’s Ministry of the Environment and complex and interrelated issues, vulnerable at a time when regional energy projects Natural Resources, and former director of INAC’s and to share those lessons with scale up and global water scarcity looms. [Indian and Northern Affairs Canada] Water all Canadians and the rest of This report illuminates the threats, both Resources Division. “Life in the North has always the industrialized world.” physical and political, to the health and integrity revolved around water in an intimate way that of this mega water-system, and proposes many other jurisdictions have lost. The value of — RALPH PENTLAND, some useful and achievable opportunities for water in the North is the same as the value of water SPECIAL ADVISOR ON government and foundation leadership. to people who live in deserts: central to life.” FRESHWATER ISSUES, Along with its obvious cultural importance, the GORDON FOUNDATION TARGET AUDIENCE Mackenzie Basin also offers huge “natural capital” This paper is intended to specifically inform beyond the purely economic value assigned to it governments, foundations and other non- by mining and energy companies. A recent study governmental organizations. The authors hope by the Canadian Boreal Initiative points to a range the paper will also be of interest to other sectors of of “ecological goods and services” supported by society and concerned citizens. the basin, such as “water filtration, carbon storage, pest control by birds, climate regulation, cultural METHODOLOGY benefits to indigenous communities, recreational Information for this report was gathered from benefits and opportunities for a wide range of land various fresh water policy documents and literature, users”.2 The study values the basin’s natural capital as well as key informant interviews with 14 experts at roughly $448.3 billion per year, compared with a in water science and policy, Northern governance, GDP of only $41.9 billion for the region. resource development and traditional knowledge.i From a broader geopolitical perspective, protecting “one of the world’s final water ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS frontiers” could set an international precedent This paper was compiled by Caitlin Robinson if Canada plays its cards right, says Ralph with contributions from Tim Morris, Natasha Pentland, a fresh water advisor to the Walter Sawh, James Stauch, and Feodor Snagovsky. The and Duncan Gordon Foundation. “We have a Foundation is grateful to our interviewees and unique opportunity to learn from the mistakes reviewers, whose insights and knowledge made this of others, to get things right from the start, to paper possible (listed in Appendix B). Particular find innovative ways to address the myriad of thanks to Karen Baltgailis, Jasmine Budak, Mike complex and interrelated issues, and to share Harlow, Nadia Joe and Merrell-Anne Phare for those lessons with all Canadians and the rest of editing and fact-checking. the industrialized world.” i See appendix for a complete list of experts and interview questions. Introduction 07 The Athabasca Falls off of the Icefields Parkway 08 Threats and Concerns Canada’s Great Basin THREATS AND CONCERNS “Right now, [in] my town of Fort Smith [in the Northwest Territories], we get Alberta’s last flush of the toilet.” — TIM HERON, NORTHWEST TERRITORY MÉTIS NATION 3 ALBERTA OIL SANDS governments to commission independent “As Northerners, we have virtually no The