Blog

During the pandemic many of you have been discovering new and exciting ways to get outside and enjoy the watershed. This winter you may find yourself out on the river for a walk, skate or ski, or even zipping around on a snowmobile. While these are all awesome ways to enjoy the river during the winter, it’s of the utmost importance to remember that accessing river ice is never 100% safe.

At Ottawa Riverkeeper, we have a program that gives our employees paid days off to explore new corners of the watershed. These outings are opportunities for the team to learn about and connect with the waterways and land that they are dedicated to protecting.

November 20th, 2020 saw the official opening event for a brand new piece of Ottawa City infrastructure: the Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel. What does that have to do with the river? The new tunnel is designed to help protect the river from the harmful effects of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs).

Despite its cultural significance and ecological role in the Ottawa River, the American eel has dramatically declined in recent decades. This fascinating species has been heavily impacted by changes in the watershed. We believe you should know why this has happened and why American eels matter in the Ottawa River.

We are pleased to present the award to a group that has shown truly remarkable cooperation towards the stewardship and protection of our river: the members of the Pacte d’Amitié.

Water brings us together. Will you help protect it? This inspiring story from Maddie Perrault makes the case for protecting our waterways for future generations.

On November 16th Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources announced that the government was launching a review and public engagement on Canada’s Radioactive Waste Policy. We now have a chance to help the government build a stronger policy that lives up to international standards, and most importantly, protects our waterways.

Recent decisions by the Ontario government to strip Conservation Authorities of their power threaten to harm the Ottawa River watershed. We believe that you should know what this means for your future and that of the rivers, lakes and wetlands in our region.

Since 2014, Ottawa Riverkeeper and other groups have been working hard to have triclosan banned from Canadian products. In October 2020, new legislation came into effect limiting the use of Triclosan. We are disappointed in this outcome, but there is cause for optimism.

We are excited to see that our report on microplastics in the Ottawa River continues to resonate with the public. However, we are concerned that these findings have recently been misrepresented.

We’re so excited about our new cohort of Youth Water Leaders that we want you to get to know each and every one of these amazing individuals.

This World Rivers Day, we wanted to honour not only the Ottawa River and its tributaries, but also you, the people that love the watershed and make our work possible.

As the world comes together for the 2020 Global Climate Strike, we stand in solidarity with everyone fighting for the health of our planet.

Today we celebrate World Water Monitoring Day! Did you know that Ottawa Riverkeeper does its own in house water quality testing?

In July, Riverwatcher Jennifer Haughton submitted a report of some water lily like plants that had recently taken over a large section of Webb’s Bay, an embayment of the Ottawa River in Bristol, QC.

One thing is clear: the Ottawa River is extremely important to the community! In fact, 92% of people believe that the river makes living in this region much better, according to a new survey.

Ottawa Riverkeeper staff member Mark Bernards took some amazing photos while exploring Shirleys Bay!

Nature journaling is the process of writing, drawing, or using numbers and maps to record information about our observations in nature. Youth Water Leader Rachel Balderson describes an online workshop she ran with local artist Emily Rose Michaud to teach the process of nature journaling to a group of young adults from around Ottawa.

Former Governor General the Right Honourable David Johnston and Mrs. Sharon Johnston joined the eminent group of Honorary Riverkeepers.

This summer, Ottawa Riverkeeper is proud to present your Watershed Beach Pass, your passport to outdoor summer entertainment.