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The Ottawa River Heritage Designation Committee has passed another hurdle.
On Thursday, committee chairman Larry Graham received confirmation that the Canadian Heritage Rivers System has approved the heritage river designation for the Ottawa River. He made the announcement Friday night during the Sneak-a-Peak fundraising gala at the Champlain Trail Museum, where six original oil paintings depicting the Ottawa River were unveiled in their permanent location at the museum.
The purchase of the paintings by the Rogers family helped the committee purchase three 21-foot North canoes and one Scout tandem canoe to be used by the Ottawa River Canoe Brigade, the paddling arm of the Ottawa River Heritage Designation Committee, which was formed late last year.
Although he is excited about reaching this step in the process, Mr. Graham pointed out the committee has found itself in this position in the past but failed to receive the signature of the federal environment minister at the time.
All that is missing to make the designation official this time around is the signature of Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice, which Mr. Graham expects is forthcoming. He fully expects the designation will be formally proclaimed in June during the Canadian River Heritage Conference in Ottawa as Mr. Prentice has confirmed his attendance at the conference. The event also marks the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System.
To mark Canadian Rivers Day on June 14, Ottawa River Canoe Brigade will participate in a paddle on the Ottawa River with Parks Canada. The brigade’s canoes will be piloted by Mr. Graham, Fred Blackstein and Dave Rogers.
Once the heritage designation process is complete, the committee will dissolve, but the work won’t be done. , the focus will shift to public education and promotion, which is where the brigadecomes in.
“It’s about getting paddles in the water and getting connected with the river,” Mr. Graham said.
Lois Hopkins, wife of the late Len Hopkins the first chairman of the heritage designation committee, couldn’t have been happier when she heard Mr. Graham’s announcement Friday night but at the same time she was disappointed Mr. Hopkins wasn’t around to hear the news.
“Len would be thrilled about this,” she said. “He worked so hard on this project. It was his whole life when he retired. This would have made Len very happy.”
Along with the members of the committee, she is looking forward to the official announcement in June.
Tina Peplinskie is a Daily Observer reporter
Copyright 2009 – The Daily Observer