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"We use these lakes the way medical researchers use white mice," says Mike Paterson, the scientist-in-charge at the ELA.

Research from the Experimental Lakes Area, based on laboratory analyses, has had profound impact on environmental policy across North America. In the 1970s, work at the ELA led to an almost world wide ban on dish detergent containing phosphorous. During the1980s, ELA scientists proved harmful effects of acid rain, which led to new standards for airborne pollutants., and cooperation between Canada and the US to reduce acid rain effects.

The Experimental Lakes Area research is invaluable in demonstrating environmental impact of chemicals in water ecosystems. Hundreds of scientists and students have been involved in aquatic and ecosystem research at the ELA. Much of the work from the ELA has been centred in the Fresh Water Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Commissioner's main findings were:

• The government did not comply with the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act. The Conservatives have announced they will repeal the Kyoto Implementation Act arguing that it is too costly for Canada to remain part of the Kyoto Protocol. The Commissioner found that Conservatives had no cost estimates to back this claim.
• According to Environment Canada's own forecasts Canada will not meet current targets of 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020. Instead emissions are set to increase 7 percent above the 2005 levels.
• Ottawa is facing a $7.7 billion bill to clean up 13,000 federally-owned contaminated sites across the country, but has only set aside a fraction of the money needed.

"I have grave concerns. Climate change is about a moral responsibility, intergenerational responsibility, and under the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, they also had legal responsibility. Under the Budget Implementation Bill, they're going to repeal that," said Liberal Environment Critic Kirsty Duncan.

"Without an implementation plan, industry, consumers and other levels of government lack a solid basis for knowing how to adjust technology and make formal investment decisions," said Vaughan.

NDP Environment Critic Meagan Leslie said "It's pretty unbelievable for the Conservatives to say they will ditch one plan, say, 'We're going to do it sector by sector, we have a plan, the plan is working.' It's very clear the plan is not working."

"We cannot ignore environmental liabilities, whether due to the climate crisis or toxic waste sites. Economic health is completely dependent on ecological health," said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

The proposed Act "puts in place new protections for water wells, specifically looking at qualifications for well drillers as well as protections in terms of the drilling and sealing of wells, and as well, formally recognizes in legislation the important role of aquifer management planning," said MackIntosh.

Manitoba released a discussion paper on the proposed legislative changes in March and requested public comments online. Comments received have not been made public, and the discussion paper is no longer available on the Government of Manitoba webpage dedicated to the proposed New Groundwater Act and Strategy.

"This Government needs to understand that simply putting a discussion paper up on a website is not consultation. The comments received need to be shared in an open and transparent manner, and greater efforts need to be made to engage the public," suggested Manitoba Wildlands Director Gaile Whelan Enns.

Whelan Enns also pointed out that new act deals only with drinking water wells. Wells drilled under the Manitoba's Mines and Minerals Act and/or Oil and Gas Act are specifically excluded from the new well rules.

"Fracking is one of the biggest current risks to the safety of our aquifers," said Gaile Whelans. "If this government wants to get serious about aquifer management planning, then it needs to address the impacts that fracking has on water quality."

Yet the same survey shows a disconnect: more than 80 per cent feel there is no need for major and immediate investment in their community's drinking water/wastewater facilities. The level of confidence in the safety and quality of drinking water has increased, and more than a third of Canadians (37 per cent) who use municipal water are not very aware of the condition of the water and sewage infrastructure serving their own home.

"We have been polling on water issues for 25 years. This survey is a tale of romance between Canadians and their treasured water. But there's a significant gap between romance and reality. We found a troubling lack of awareness not only about water conservation but also the very pressing need for investment in infrastructure." stated GlobeScan President Chris Coulter.

"We say climate change is a material risk," David McLaughlin, head of the NTREE advisory panel.

Previous analysis done by the round table shows that climate change will drain $5 billion a year from the Canadian economy by 2020. The costs will climb steeply after that, chopping Canadian economic activity by between $21 billion and $43 billion a year by 2050, depending on how much action is taken to reduce greenhouse gases by then.

At the same time a April 23, 2012 report, "Tracking Clean Energy Progress," by the International Energy Agency (IEA) says governments around the world must "level the playing field" to ensure clean energy technologies grow fast enough to prevent dangerous levels of global warming.

"Transition to a low-carbon energy sector is affordable and represents tremendous business opportunities, but investor confidence remains low due to policy frameworks that do not provide certainty and address key barriers to technology deployment. Private sector financing will only reach the levels required if governments create and maintain supportive business environments for low-carbon energy technologies," says the IEA report.

De Schutter, a Harvard-educated human rights lawyer who investigates and makes recommendations on food issues, is in the midst of an 11-day cross Canada visit to examine: rising food bank use, whether all Canadians have "adequate, accessible and affordable" sustenance, and the need for national Canadian food policies.

"Having the UN Special Rapporteur come to Winnipeg to discuss the right to food among Canadians is an honour," said Jasmine Tara, Winnipeg North End Food Security Network Coordinator.

In addition to Winnipeg De Schutter will visit Sagkeeng First Nation, God's River First Nation, Garden Hill reserve, as well as fly over the Lake St. Martin area, where prolonged flooding has forced the evacuation of hundreds of reserve residents.

"What the rapporteur is going to see is a transition phase where we're relying less on a traditional diet and more on processed, less healthy food. Where I come from at Pine Creek First Nation, there are no fish left in the lake and there is no moose to hunt on the mountain. We have to make our purchases at the grocery store just like everyone else," said Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Derek Nepinak.

MKO Cree Northern Grand Chief David Harper said he hopes the envoy will get a feel for the high cost of groceries. Groceries in remote Northern community stores cost at least twice as much as in Winnipeg.

"Challenges remain to ensure that food is adequate, accessible and affordable for marginalized groups, be they poor urban populations or Aboriginal peoples," De Schutter said.

In response environmental charities, including David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, Environmental Defence, Equiterre, Greenpeace, Nature Canada, CPAWS, Pembina Institute, Sierra Club Canada, West Coast Environmental Law, and WWF Canada have launched a major campaign to defend nature and democracy called: "Black Out Speak Out."

On June 4th, 2012 organizations, businesses and citizens from across Canada will blackout their websites in protest against efforts to silence Canadians and undermine environmental laws.

"The attacks on environmental charities and gutting of environmental review processes aim to silence Canadians of all sectors and many backgrounds who participate in decision-making about large-scale industrial developments," said Peter Robinson, CEO of the David Suzuki Foundation. "This is not only undemocratic-it will undermine the government's ability to make sound policy decisions and to protect the environment."

"We are compelled to speak out and we're inviting Canadians from all walks of life to join us.", said Sidney Ribaux, executive director of Equiterre.

Over the next four weeks, environmental groups will build support for the campaign, inviting other organizations, community and social justice groups, and individuals from across Canada to join them in expressing their concern about this erosion of core Canadian values.

Canadians wishing to support the campaign can sign up at blackoutspeakout.ca

Yinka Dene Alliance was a leading creator of the Save the Fraser River Declaration signed by almost 200 First Nations in solidarity to protect the environment of their traditional lands. Representatives of the Yinka Dene Alliance will attend Enbridge's Annual General Meeting in Toronto, Ontario to enforce their ban of the construction of pipelines in their traditional territories.

"We're travelling across Canada to tell Enbridge that they will not be permitted to build their pipelines through our lands, period,” said Chief Jackie Thomas of Saik'uz First Nation. "The fight against Enbridge is a fight for our freedom to govern ourselves and to choose our own future. We will not accept the government imposing a decision on us and forcing this pipeline through our lands.”

During a council held at Ebb & Flow Reserve April 26, 2012 seven of the nine Treaty Two First Nations decided to take a united collective treaty-based approach to questions regarding the proposed Bipole III project.

Treaty Two was signed in 1871 explicitly for the purposes of "obtaining consent" of the indigenous peoples for the sharing of their lands for purposes "of immigration and settlement."

"Bipole III goes far beyond the permission given through Treaty," because it is being built primarily to export power stated Treaty Two co-chairs Chief Norman Bone of Keeseekoowenin Objibway Nation and Chief Barry Swan of Lake Manitoba First Nation in their letter to the Premier.

Unless cellulose ethanol can command a price premium for any greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions achieved, then regardless of Manitoba ethanol mandates, suppliers are likely to choose the lower cost and higher emitting first-generation ethanol fuels.

Shell Canada Environmental and Regulatory Affairs Advisor Ed Brost indicated Shell had planned to apply for a Manitoba Environment Act license for the plant in late summer or early fall 2012. The plant would have created 70-100 jobs, and more than 300 farmers had already signed up to supply the facility with straw.

Brost said there was "no plans to restart the project," and that the decision to scrap the plan was a business decision, which "had nothing to do with anything in Manitoba. Both the Province and the community were receptive and generally supportive of Shell during the feasibility study. Shell appreciates the time and effort of all those who offered support and suggestions during the study."

About one-third of the budget implementation bill changes environmental legislation, instead of dealing with fiscal matters as a budget implementation bill does in the Canadian System. Non-budgetary environmental changes in Bill C-38 include:

• Repealing the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act.
• Replacement of the 79 page Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) with a new 40 page Act, Canadian Environmental Assessment Act 2012 (CEAA 2012), creating a whole new scheme for environmental review, with a much narrower scope. Time limits will be set for assessments, and projects will be excluded from federal review if they are reviewed provincially. Environmental reviews are no longer required for projects involving federal money.
• Cabinet will be able to overrule both CEAA and the National Energy Board (NEB).
• Exempting NEB, CEAA, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and other federal agencies from requirements to ensure protections are in place for species at risk and their critical habitats when issuing permits.
• Amending the Species at Risk Act to create time limits on the issuance and renewal of permits.
• Removing the habitat protection measure in the Fisheries Act.
• Eliminating the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NTREE).

First Nations are also deeply concerned about being left out of the new procedures, despite legal obligations on the government to consult First Nations on impacts from major projects.

"It is an alarming development that Canada would take such steps," said Shawn Atleo, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

"The Arctic Ocean is definitely changing on a whole lot of different fronts," professor David Barber of the University of Manitoba said.

Scientist discovered that an increase in open water is dramatically affecting the carbon cycle and creating underwater 'storms' that impact the flow of flora and fauna into the Arctic Ocean. The study is the first of its kind and comes at a time when Canadian Government funding for Arctic research is being slashed.

With more open waters making the Arctic Ocean more accessible each year concerns are being raised about economic buffer zones, security risks, and resources newly accessible, especially fishing.

A group of more than 2,000 scientists from around the world are urging the leaders of all five Arctic nations to impose a moratorium on industrial fishing. With so little still known about the Arctic Ocean, Arctic leaders are being asked to develop an accord to ensure sustainability of Arctic fishing grounds.