OTTAWA, May 29, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to safeguarding our country's freshwater resources for generations to come, including the Ottawa River watershed.
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, announced today that the federal government will provide up to $275,000 over two years to Ottawa Riverkeeper, a charitable organization, to help protect the long-term health and vitality of the Ottawa River watershed, including the animals, fish, and species at risk that call it home.
Recent scientific reports have shown the effects of unmitigated human impact on our environment, everything from unprecedented loss of biodiversity to climate change. Once again, the region has felt the devastating impacts of climate change, as the Ottawa River has experienced historic flooding. We must continue to monitor impacts on our nature and freshwater resources to ensure they remain healthy as the world around us changes.
The funding will support community-based monitoring, in partnership with Indigenous and watershed communities. The knowledge gathered will inform discussions on how to promote the watershed's long-term sustainability, and it will add to the discourse about watershed management and collaboration across Canada. Through this work, partners will be able to better know and connect to the River that brings communities along the water together. This financial support adds to the $75,000 that Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) provided last year to Ottawa Riverkeeper to develop health indicators for the Ottawa River.
The Ottawa River, recognized for its outstanding cultural values, travels through the heart of Algonquin land, and was invaluable to the economic and political growth of the region during the fur and timber eras and continues to be an essential economic engine today.
Quotes
"Like many in the National Capital Region, I have a long-standing personal connection to the Ottawa River. My family lives near the river, we swim in it, paddle on it, and bike and play along it. Today's federal government support to the Ottawa Riverkeeper, in addition to our government's investment in better wastewater treatment and stormwater infrastructure, the heritage designation of the Ottawa River and the new access points to the canal will help protect the long-term health and vitality of the Ottawa River watershed so Canadians can continue to swim, drink and fish in it for generations to come."
– Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
"This federal investment demonstrates our government support for the protection of the Ottawa River watershed. I have worked with the Ottawa Riverkeeper for over a decade, as Pontiac's MP and as an environmental lawyer, and I am so pleased that their important work is receiving the recognition that it deserves."
– Will Amos, Member of Parliament, Pontiac
"The Ottawa River watershed is critical to our overall economic, ecological, and cultural well-being. There is a strong tradition that runs through the veins of so many Canadians in this region and beyond, those who have been touched by the beauty and stupendous power of the Ottawa River, the jewel in the crown of the National Capital Region."
– The Honourable David McGuinty, Member of Parliament, Ottawa South
"Through community-based monitoring, Ottawa Riverkeeper has already assembled the world's largest network of citizen scientists tracking microplastics pollution in freshwater. Thanks to this investment, we'll be able replicate that success with other indicators of watershed health, including several related to climate change such as ice conditions, spread of invasive species, and toxic algal blooms."
– Patrick Nadeau, Executive Director of Ottawa Riverkeeper
Quick facts
- The Ottawa River watershed area is world-renowned for paddling recreation. In 2015-2016, Gatineau Park provided over 4,700 full time jobs, and brought direct expenditures of $184 million.
- Additionally, fishing for tourism and recreation is lucrative in the watershed. The total economic value for fishing on the Ottawa River, including expenditures and investments, was estimated at $32.1 million in 2010.
- The Ottawa River watershed:
- is one of Canada's largest watersheds, covering more than 140 000 square kilometers;
- encompasses more than 200 municipalities and is home to more than two million people;
- is the largest tributary of the St. Lawrence River; and
- provides habitat for many species, including a number of species at risk.
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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada
Sabrina Kim, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-743-7138, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected]
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