Support grows for watershed protection
Colchester County gets behind efforts to protect French River area
Colchester County Council will be communicating with the provincial government in an attempt to have the French River Watershed designated as a protected area.
Council recently gave its support to two motions brought forward by the Tatamagouche Source Water Protection Committee.
“We have a watershed that we need to protect,” Deputy-mayor Bill Masters said during council discussion on the matter.
And by following through on the motions, he added, council will have taken “every possible step” to do just that.
The two motions read as follows: “That Council directs staff to initiate the process for designation of the French River watershed as a protected water area under section 106 of the Environment Act,” and: “That Council will forward a letter to the MLA (of Colchester North), the Minister of Energy and Mines and Nova Scotia Environment, to request a delay in the issuance of the request for proposals for mineral exploration rights in the French River watershed until such time as the protected water area designation process is complete.”
The Department of Energy and Signs calling for Water not Gold can be seen on numerous lawns and buildings throughout the Tatamagouche area in a show of support for efforts to have the French River watershed protected against mineral exploration.
Mines (formerly Natural Resourput in place and “every ear that ces) is investigating the potential we can bend” should be done to for mining gold in the watershed deliver the community’s message area and has placed a mineral of concern. closure on much of the vicinity. And if the province does pro
The province is planning to ceed with its mineral exploration issue a request for proposals from efforts in the watershed area, “the interested companies for the minister who decides it will wear mineral exploration rights within it, not us,” he added. the closure area in October, along Coun. Wade Parker suggested with public comment on the issue both the North and Salmon in September. Their intention is rivers should also be included in to issue a mineral exploration the protection designation repermit before year’s end. quest.
The watershed, among other However, Public Works dirbenefits, provides drinking water ector Michelle Newell said neito the Village of Tatamagouche. ther of those rivers feed into a
Council was unanimous in its municipal water supply, such as vote to support the source water the French River watershed and committee’s efforts and Masters therefore the same designation said every road block that can be being sought does not apply.