91.16EM Grande Baleine Hydro Electric Development Project
Whereas, There are enormous environmental risks involved in the James Bay II project, including the potential for extensive damage to the native way of life, through the loss of fish spawning grounds, caribou calving grounds, duck and geese habitat and flooding of vast areas of northern Quebec; and,
Whereas, The federal government has agreed that the two components, the infrastructure and the complex (power stations, river diversions, dams) may have separate joint Provincial/Federal environmental assessments but is now working to convince the Quebec government of the need for a joint environmental assessment of the entire project; and,
Whereas, The Quebec government has moved the project ahead by six years in order to supply not only internal needs but export contracts; and,
Whereas, It is less likely that the infrastructure will be halted due to any perceived impacts, and the completion of the infrastructure will make it much more difficult to halt the complex, (even should an assessment prove potential impacts);
Whereas, The National Energy Board has agreed to the licence for export conditional on a joint provincial/federal environmental assessment of the entire project; therefore be it,
RESOLVED, That The National Council of Women of Canada support the position of the Government of Canada in its determination to ensure that a complete joint environmental assessment is done on the entire James Bay II project.
This assessment to be completed before construction of any part of the infrastructure and/or complex is contemplated or funded; and be it further,
RESOLVED, That if the environmental assessment shows that there will be an unfavourable impact on the environment that the Government of Canada ensures that the project is cancelled forthwith.