The historic Ottawa River, a key part of the capital’s natural habitat and the main source of the city’s drinking water, could soon be joining a select group of Canadian waterways designated as national heritage rivers.
The recent leak upstream at the Chalk River nuclear reactor and the radiation later found in the river’s sewage waste have raised alarms over the health of the river, which forms Centretown’s northern boundary.
But observers expect federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice to proclaim the Ottawa River a national heritage river at a conference in June – an elevated status that could help protect the river from pollution and other threats and boost tourism.
“It’s high time the Ottawa River gets designation,” says Larry Graham, chair of the Ottawa River heritage designation committee, a group that has worked to get heritage status for the river. “It will be like the Order of Canada for the river,” he says.
The committee has worked since 2003 to compile enough information to convince the Canadian Heritage Rivers board that it deserves the status.
They submitted their information to the board last month.
If the board approves, it will forward the recommendation to the environment minister for a final decision.
Graham says it has taken so many years to get heritage status because the river is massive, spanning thousands of kilometres. The river is also a jurisdictional dilemma. Its waters run through five different jurisdictions in the Ottawa area alone.
The municipalities of Ottawa and Gatineau have their own laws regulated by different provinces and the federal government sits right along the river’s banks.
“There is no consistency in who is responsible for what, and on who should make the legislation. But in the end it’s all flowing to the same place,” says Natasha Wilson, communications co-ordinator for the Ottawa Riverkeeper, a group that promotes the river’s ecological health.
Canadian rivers can get heritage status based on their natural qualities or their cultural value.
Since the Ottawa River has many dams and bridges, it does not qualify for status based on its natural beauty.
Brian Grimsey, co-ordinator of the Canadian River Heritage conference, says no one questions whether the river deserves the title based on its history.
“It’s the ancient trans-Canada highway, it’s the route of history as Canada grew westward,” he says.
Grimsey won’t get too excited yet, though. He says his fingers are crossed but there’s still a chance the minister won’t proclaim heritage status.
Development will continue on the river, even if it gets heritage status.
However, there will likely be more environmental protection for the river. Both Graham and Grimsey agree that it will help boost tourism, a boon for the many communities along the river.