WATERKEEPERS SEEK NEW MEMBERS TO HELP PROTECT LAKES AND RIVERS

by James Keller

A group of environmentalists that works to protect Canadian waters has teamed up with Canadian rock icons the Tragically Hip to raise support for its work.

The Waterkeeper Alliance, an international association led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., followed the band to every stop on its recent Canadian tour, which ended Sunday night in Halifax.

Waterkeepers, typically funded by local environmental groups, work to protect rivers, lakes and shorelines and reverse environmental damage. Each group has a dedicated paid waterkeeper whose job it is to patrol area waters and watch for violations of environmental laws.

"The idea is that you need a full-time guardian on your water body," said Mark Mattson, waterkeeper for Lake Ontario and the head of Waterkeepers Canada, the Canadian branch of the Waterkeeper Alliance.

"You need a boat and you need to use the law in order to win back protection of the lakes and rivers."

Waterkeepers aren't affiliated with government or law enforcement agencies, but they report illegal behaviour to authorities and collect evidence that can help in criminal investigations or government inquiries.

This is where public involvement is important, Mr. Mattson said, and why joining forces with the Tragically Hip was an invaluable opportunity.

Mr. Mattson set up tables at the Tragically Hip concerts to distribute information and talk to concertgoers. In areas where waterkeepers already operate, he tries to educate people on how they can help. Where there isn't a waterkeeper, he said, education can pave the way to appointing one.

Thousands of people signed up for the Waterkeeper Alliance's e-mail list, and the response, in Halifax and across the country, has been encouraging, he said.

"The band has made people in Canada a little more aware of waterkeepers," Mr. Mattson said.

There aren't any waterkeepers in Nova Scotia. The nearest is on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.

David Thompson became the area's first baykeeper last March. He was at the Tragically Hip concert last week in Saint John and said the exposure helps the waterkeepers' grassroots approach.

"The reaction (at the concert) was positive," he said. "People are anxious to see our waters cleaned up and restored and taken back by the public."

Mr. Thompson said in most cases, laws exist to protect the waters he patrols, but they often aren't enforced.

"If we depend on government to clean up the mess, to protect the environment, then we're going to be quite disappointed." There are eight waterkeepers across Canada, mostly in Ontario.

A candidate would have to work with local environmental groups to raise money and obtain a licence from the Waterkeeper Alliance.

People interested in working with the alliance can visit www.waterkeepers.ca.