Bureaucratic Blocks to Rideau River Refuse
Sat, 2008-07-05 01:22
#1
Bureaucratic Blocks to Rideau River Refuse
Sat, 2008-07-05 01:22
#2
It seems the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa is tossing their construction waste into the Rideau River willynilly, and there's a bit of a conundrum as to who is going to knock on the front door and ask them to stop, or if we even can.
I found this para to be particularly compelling as to how things work in Ottawa:
quote:
Determining who is responsible for debris dumped in the river is challenging.
Spokespeople for both the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa said the Rideau River is not in their jurisdiction. The federal Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which deals with foreign embassies, said debris in the river does not fall under its purview. Parks Canada said it only has jurisdiction over the Rideau River south of Hog's Back Falls. That agency pointed to the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources, which pointed to the provincial Ministry of Environment. The Ministry of Environment mostly deals with contamination, and a spokesperson was unsure whether cinder blocks were pollutants, and recommended Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which suggested the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority is responsible.
[url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=e1f6f46e-5df1-4ae...
Sat, 2008-07-05 03:22
#3
Um, seems to me there shouldn't be any problem telling them to cut it the hell out. The Chinese Embassy may be Chinese territory, but the Rideau River sure as hell isn't. [img]mad.gif" border="0[/img]
I guess what they need to do is figure out who would knock on MY front door if I decided to dump shit into the Rideau River. That would be who would knock on the Embassy's door.
[img]http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/1bcea140-e1e9-4...
[ 05 July 2008: Message edited by: Michelle ]
Fri, 2008-07-18 08:40
#4
Funny how this was reported. Here is another picture of the "dumping of refuse" which in fact was building materials being staged for building a wall to reduce shoreline erosion.
[img]http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/ce8e2b76-8726-4...
quote:
Last week, a pile of blocks was noticed in the river behind the embassy by a passing kayaker, raising the concern of environmental authorities. By the weekend, after the Citizen published a report on the pile, the blocks were being used to build a retaining wall in the river.The wall was part of a project by the embassy to protect and repair the eroding shoreline along the property, according to a statement issued by the embassy on Monday.
I guess no good deed goes unpunished.
[ 18 July 2008: Message edited by: scooter ]
Fri, 2008-07-18 09:04
#5
Oops, I forgot to include a link to the quote I used.
[url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=9419fd7d-1096-4c6b-9e3... Ottawa Citizen, July 11[/url]
Fri, 2008-07-18 09:27
#6
Le T
The original article seems to be a real racist piece of work. They talk to just about everybody in Ottawa to get their two cents on the Chinese Embassy "dumping debris" into the river. Everyone except the Chinese Embassy, who did not return the calls the journalist made on a Friday, the day the article is dated.
Turns out that it's a retaining wall, oh well no retraction by the Citizen of the shit article that they published that was based on the fears of a kayaker.
Is it really the Chinese Embassy who is polluting the river? What happens to your shit when you flush it? Where does all that water go when it rains on roads?
This story just plays into the newest racist fad in journalism - China bashing.
Fri, 2008-07-18 09:56
#7
Hmm...well, there is that too, isn't there? That hadn't occurred to me. Thanks for pointing that out, LT.
And thanks for the update, Scooter. I guess this is yet another lesson in Not Believing Everything I Read In The Paper. Especially when it's about a country that the mainstream news both here and across the border has been demonizing.
[ 18 July 2008: Message edited by: Michelle ]
Fri, 2008-07-18 15:55
#8
Don't get me wrong. I think the Chinese government shouldn't have built the wall.
Nice to see the government officials approaching the Chinese in a thoughtful and progressive manner.
If the Chinese thought their government was bureaucratic wait till they have to deal with representatives from the City of Ottawa, Ontario Government, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, and the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade. [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]