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The National Capital Commission (NCC) in partnership with the City of Ottawa and the Ville de Gatineau announced today an approach to improve the ways that the various levels of government in the Capital Region work together to protect the Ottawa River. This new approach will rest on the creation of a coordinating group for the Ottawa River. The first priority of the coordinating group will be water quality.
The announcement builds on the momentum of the 6th Canadian Rivers Conference that concluded yesterday in the Region and was focused on how protect Canadian rivers so that they may to continue to provide ecological, economic and social benefits to future generations.
“Today we offer a model of shared leadership for the environmental, social, and economic future of the Ottawa River corridor through the Nation’s Capital,” said Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer of the National Capital Commission. “The facilitator or coordination role is particularly important due to the complex jurisdictional context of the Ottawa River corridor.”
“This partnership will make it possible for all of the parties to build upon some of the important and concrete work that the City of Ottawa has begun to protect and improve upon water quality within the Ottawa River,” said Acting Mayor Michel Bellemare. “The City has established a $139 million fund that has attracted both federal and provincial capital funding that will be used to support projects that protect the river. It is my hope that this cooperative partnership with the NCC and the City of Gatineau will strengthen our efforts to ensure the river continues to be an important social and economic driver to both of our communities.”
“The Ottawa River has played, and continues to play, a major role in the development of our region. We must work together in a spirit of sustainable development, to develop ways to protect and promote this witness of the cultural, economic and environmental heritage of the National Capital. The establishment of this coordination group with the objective of water quality, demonstrates once again the complicity between Gatineau, Ottawa and the NCC, which form the fourth economic hub in Canada,” said mayor of Gatineau, Mr. Marc Bureau.
For several years, the NCC, the City of Ottawa and the Ville de Gatineau have worked together on the Ottawa River Integrated Development Plan (ORIDP). In 2003, Phase I of this work identified some 80 initiatives to enhance the river’s environment and recommended the establishment of an Ottawa River Coordinating Committee. In 2008, the need for this group was strongly reiterated in the consultations during Phase II as a way to set priorities and improve the management of the river.
The jurisdictional context for the Ottawa River, in the National Capital Region, is very complex, with three levels of government and numerous special purpose agencies and non-governmental organizations whose work and responsibilities affect the River from many perspectives. Many of these organizations work in relative isolation from one another, and the need for collaboration and sharing of effort and information is clear.
“We want to change that,” said in one voice Lemay, Bellemare and Bureau. “Sharing information and knowledge will make it possible to channel the efforts of governments, agencies and organizations towards a true and effective stewardship of the Ottawa River corridor through the Nation’s Capital.
For more information, the public may contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1-800-465-1867, 613-239-5090 (TTY) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY).