PRESS RELEASE
The first draft of the upcoming Provincial Water Act is due out any day now, and the Environmental Coalition of Prince Edward Island is excited for what it could mean for the Island. Â A good Water Act could help to not only conserve our riparian zones, water supply, and ecosystems but also enhance and improve our beautiful province.
ECOPEI is pleased to invite the public to our Annual General Meeting on Thursday, February 16th from 6:30-8:30 pm. Â The meeting takes place at the Haviland Club, located at the corner of Haviland Street and Water Street in Charlottetown. Â
A short business meeting starts the evening at 6:30 pm, including the election of the 2017 Board of Directors.
At 7 pm there will be an informative panel on the first draft of the Provincial Water Act with lots of time for comments, questions, and feedback. Â If the draft is not available, the panel will be taking a detailed look at the components of an environmentally sound water policy that meets the present and future needs of Islanders. Â
Panelists
Marie-Ann Bowden is a former professor of Law at the University of Saskatchewan with specializations in environmental law, public interest advocacy, and water law. She was also chairperson of the Saskatchewan Environmental Assessment Review Commission, co-editor of the Canadian Journal of Environmental Law & Policy, and much, much more.
Catherine O’Brien is the chairperson of the Coalition for the Protection of PEI Water and has been instrumental in their wonderful education and advocacy work concerning Island water issues from deep-well irrigation to water bottle plants to the public consultations on the future Water Act.
Gary Schneider is one of the founding members and co-chair of ECOPEI, as well as founder and manager of the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project. Â He has lots of on-the-ground experience in Island water issues.
photo credits: Macphail Woods