![]() ![]() Passed in 1970, the Canada Water Act superseded the Canada Water Conservation Assistance Act as the main vehicle for federal involvement in the management of Canada's water resources. Their interests were directed toward fisheries navigable waterways irrigation various surveys of rivers, lakes, harbours and dams hydroelectric development and treaties with the United States. Within the federal government, water responsibilities were spread out among several agencies and acts. Therefore, the provinces, while having the power to manage natural resources within their boundaries, were not without restrictions when entering into areas of federal legislative control. Flood control, however, was not specifically mentioned. Agriculture fell under both federal and provincial jurisdiction. ![]() However, this Act, subsequent court battles, federal-provincial agreements, and the natural resources transfer acts of 1930 gave ownership and control of natural resources to the provinces while investing the federal government with legislative power over fisheries, navigation, treaty-making, and extra-provincial undertakings, among other activities. The British North America Act of 1867 (now known as the Constitution Act) did not specifically mention water. Other concerns were water supply for irrigation and domestic use, forestry practices, wildlife, and recreation.Īll this activity was being carried out without a particular water policy in place. The authorities were formed on the basis of drainage basins, with a major focus being flood control. Later, the need emerged for a multi-purpose river basin approach, resulting in the formation of Conservation Authorities in Ontario and the Eastern Rockies Conservation Board in Alberta. Works constructed for navigation purposes could also reduce flood peaks, but to a lesser degree. Although these were not built for flood control purposes, they invariably lowered flood peaks. In the early part of the 20 th century, large-scale water control projects, mostly for hydroelectric generation, were constructed. At the same time, the hydroelectric potential of the country was beginning to be realized. Their recreational importance continued to grow with the turn of the century. By the late-1800s, Canadian rivers were being promoted in literature enticing European sport fishermen. As the country developed the water resources were found to provide additional benefits. Although no major disasters are known to have occurred, a look at flooding at that time would show failure of small dams, loss of bridges, and inundations of large parts of villages and towns.Ĭommunities and industries sprang up along the water courses, since they provided the principal means of transportation and were a source of water supply. With the influx of settlers to the country, water became of greater consequence in daily life, for transportation, energy, trade, territorial control, and military purposes. The frequency of such dyking by private individuals led to legislation to form organized dyking districts by the British Columbia Government in 1873. Over 200 years later, in the early development of British Columbia, sea dykes were constructed to protect and reclaim agricultural land. ![]() Commencing in the late-1630s, French settlers in the Bay of Fundy area of Atlantic Canada constructed a system of dykes to reclaim the salt marshes for their agricultural productivity. Water has always played a major role in the life and development of Canada. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |