Ottawa Centre’s MP wants the federal government to take action to protect the Ottawa River, seen here near the Canadian War Museum.
Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar wants the federal government to take a more active role in protecting the Ottawa River.
“The federal government needs to take responsibility for the jurisdiction of Ottawa River,” said Dewar, pointing out that one million people use the river as the source of their drinking water.
Meredith Brown, executive director of the Ottawa Riverkeepers, a group of local water protection activists, said Dewar wants to ensure better control of what is going into the water.
“There are a lot of pollutants ending up in the river . . . At the moment the jurisdiction of the water in Canada is very fragmented.”
To mark United Nations Water Day on March 22, Dewar proposed a “Plan of Action” that contains both short- and long-term goals.
In the immediate future, Dewar wants municipalities along the river to invest more in infrastructure to reduce pollution.
Dewar is particularly concerned about garbage and sewage ending up in the river as a result of rain storms.
“When you are redoing the infrastructure you need to make sure you have enough capacity for the water from the rainfall so that it doesn’t go to the river,” said Dewar.
Dewar is also concerned about maintaining the river’s biodiversity, mentioning a butterfly habitat near the Canadian War Museum. He is also encouraging people to plant trees along its banks to prevent soil erosion.
In the long term, Dewar wants the federal government to start doing research on the quality of water in Canada. “The research could establish governmental policies to protect it,” he suggested.
“We should not have to wait for the Ottawa River to reach the catastrophic levels of pollution in the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway before the federal government takes action,” said Dewar in a press release.
Dewar originally presented the plan as a private member’s bill last year in the House of Commons.