A monumental day for our river
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ECCC Announces Funding for Ottawa Riverkeeper
Yesterday was a day full of excitement for us here at Ottawa Riverkeeper, and for you, our river community! Things kicked off in the morning with the announcement that Environment and Climate Change Canada will be investing $275,000 in funding to support Ottawa Riverkeeper’s Watershed Health and Citizen Science initiatives.
The announcement took place overlooking the Ottawa River. Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna along with Ottawa-Vanier MP Mona Fortier, Pontiac MP Will Amos and our Executive Director Patrick Nadeau all spoke about the need for more science-based decision-making and the immense value of citizen scientists. Also in attendance were several of our wonderful Riverwatchers and volunteers, many members of Ottawa Riverkeeper’s Board of Directors, as well as media.
This project will engage a large network of volunteer citizen scientists and involve several indigenous communities throughout the watershed. It is the next phase of an initiative we recently completed to identify watershed health indicators and develop recommendations for a more comprehensive approach to assessing river health. For this we are grateful for the advice and guidance of our expert Watershed Health committee. Starting this summer, we will begin new community-based monitoring activities to gather data and fill gaps in our understanding of the watershed.
Thanks to everyone who could be there for this milestone moment for our watershed! !
See photos of the announcement here.
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Another Amazing Riverkeeper Gala
The day didn’t end there! Yesterday evening was our annual Riverkeeper Gala, presented by the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Thank you to everyone who attended this beautiful evening - it is always inspiring to gather such a fantastic community of river supporters! 50 Sussex was completely transformed into a magical setting for the party, with marvelous work done by Tania Kratt, Penny Schroeder and the outstanding members of the Gala committee to turn this event into an evening that will never be forgotten. We are so grateful to them for making this River Chic evening a reality!
The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, former Chief Justice of Canada, became our latest Honorary Riverkeeper, joining a prestigious circle comprised of Stephen Poloz, Mark Carney, Kevin Vickers, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Murray Sinclair, and Henry Burris. Madame McLachlin spoke eloquently about her connection to water - starting with Pincher Creek where she grew up, and how the Ottawa River was an important and calming presence, directly outside her window at the Supreme Court during her time as Chief Justice.
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We recognized outstanding champions with two Water Leader awards. Mission 100 Tonnes, a purely volunteer-driven initiative, has done incredible work, removing 31 tonnes of trash thus far from Québec waterways. Jimmy Vigneux, one of the group’s founders, accepted the award on their behalf. Trevor Cunningham accepted the award on behalf of River Surf Ottawa-Gatineau, who have been doing an unbelievable job mobilizing the Ottawa and Gatineau surfing communities to help during the ongoing flooding. He graciously and modestly accepted the award, praising all the volunteers and groups who have been working tirelessly to support their neighbours and complete strangers who are coping with the flooding disaster.
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Guests also got to watch and take part in a beautiful and powerful performance from JP Longboat, co-choreographer and dancer Josee Bourgeois, and youth cultural dancers from Kitigan Zibi. Lara Van Loon from the Gala Committee made the performance possible, and we are so thankful. Finally, the evening was capped of by some energetic music and dancing, featuring the talents of Kellylee Evans and Rebecca Noelle, who got the crowd pumped up and moving around!
In total, you, our river-loving community, raised a record-breaking $ 303,000 for clean water - a phenomenal show of support for the mighty Kichi Sibi!
We already have some beautiful photos from the event, with even more on the way!
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Ongoing flood response
Ottawa Riverkeeper is already hard at work preparing for this summer and beyond. In the near future, we are bringing our support to the monumental task of cleaning flood-impacted shorelines. We are asking you, our eyes on the ground, to help us identify places that need help with this survey. In a few days, we will produce a schedule of clean-ups and mobilize our volunteers and staff to participate.
The Ottawa Riverkeeper Team
Patrick, Caroline, Chloe, Dave, Erin, Jordan, Katie, Katy, Larissa, Matthew, Megan, MJ, and Sharmila
The Ottawa Riverkeeper Board
Geoff, Alexandra, Bob, Celine, Colleen, Frédéric, Fiona, Jean, Mark, Megan, Meredith, Peter, Philip, and Tracey
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Thanks to our Gala sponsors!
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