Further to my last post on the Experimental Lakes Area—the plot thickens.

When we last left Prime Minister Harper, his minions were busy tearing down structures in the ELA that used to house scientists conducting research at this world-class freshwater testing facility. At the same time as it was trashing the place, the federal government claimed to be looking for a buyer.

Now, fully-funded scientists with an on-going research project of critical importance—the effects on the environment of silver nanoparticles, commonly used as an anti-bacterial agent in clothing—have been literally banned from returning to the site:

A group of researchers from Trent University in Peterborough, Ont., was told this week they are barred from the site, despite starting their work last summer and spending thousands of dollars on an approved trip to one of the ELA lakes as recently as last month.

…[A] spokeswoman for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said no researchers are allowed on the 60 lakes this summer because the facility is no longer a federal operation.

Someone will have to explain that non-sequitur to the hard of thinking. Meanwhile, $800,000 of NSERC grant money already invested in this project may have been a waste of taxpayers’ dollars.

Why this battle in Harper’s war on science? It’s perhaps not all that difficult to connect the dots.

Meanwhile, in true Orwellian fashion, a mouthpiece for creationist Minister of Science and Technology Gary Goodyear intones: “This government’s dedication to science is well-known and documented.”

[Note: Blogging will be light today because once again I’ll be in the federal budget lock-up. I’ll be eager to see if Big Brother has increased the chocolate ration once again. —DD]

[H/t Canadian Cynic]