Your email client does not seem to be showing this formatted newsletter from Ottawa Riverkeeper. You may need to mark this as "Not Spam" to see the formatted version. If you prefer to receive the plain text version (or wish to unsubscribe), visit http://www.ottawariverkeeper.ca/newsletters/
Waves: The ottawa riverkeeper newsletter

La cyberlettre est aussi disponible en Francais. If you cannot read this newsletter properly, please click here to read it directly from our website

Ottawa River Fish Kill

Fish Kill Report Cover

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Environment have released a report on the investigation of the Ottawa River fish kill event that took place in August 2006. The report is available on our website.

The MNR estimates that roughly 2,000 – 4,000 channel catfish were killed over a 2-week period in August. While the findings of the report are not conclusive, it is important to have a report that documents the fish kill and describes the nature and extent of the event.

For more information, including Ottawa Riverkeeper’s comments on this report, click here.

Ottawa Riverkeeper’s Challenges for The New Year

  • Untreated sewage continues to be dumped into the river, despite the fact that it is 2007 and we have the technology to prevent this – can we at least alert the public as to where and when this happens?
  • Urban stormwater and sewage continue to impact water quality and jeopardize our right to swim safely at urban beaches on the river – some players think the solution is to build swimming pools!
  • SRB Technologies wants to divert tritium contaminated water into the Ottawa River – will the Canadian Nuclear Regulating Commission allow them to despite public concerns?
  • The federal government has introduced amendments to the Fisheries Act – can Habitat Protection and Enforcement of the Act get any worse than it is today?

Our thanks to all of the volunteers, members, and donors who make Ottawa Riverkeeper’s work possible.
Without you, we could not reach any of our 2007 goals!


Riverkeeper Consults with Feds on Municipal Wastewater Strategy

Canada currently lacks national standards for sewage treatment. This significant environmental health issue has been relegated to the haphazard standards of individual municipalities, with guidelines provided by each Province.

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment has initiated a Canada-wide strategy for managing municipal wastewater effluent. On January 30 & 31, Ottawa Riverkeeper and Lake Ontario Waterkeeper will participate in a National Consultation Workshop to discuss the proposed strategy.

OURS TO PROTECT

WkA

View this provocative video clip from Waterkeeper Alliance. Can you imagine life without clean water?

Ottawa Riverkeeper is a pround member of Waterkeeper Alliance, a grassroots advocacy organization with over 155 local waterkeeper programs around the globe. Waterkeepers spend each day protecting the waterways upon which all living beings depend.

Watershed News

Check out our website for recently posted news. You can view news stories by topic or by date.

Meet the Riverkeeper

Old Aylmer City Hall Building
Thursday, January 18, 2007
7:30-9:30PM

Join us and learn about the Ottawa River, Riverkeeper and our River Watch Program. Come and share your local concerns.

The meeting is organized by the Coalition of the Residents’ Associations. The meeting will be held in both French and English, is open to all and free of charge.

Chief Commanda’s Vision

Grandfather William Commanda has a vision for the sacred site at Asinabka / Victoria Island, Ottawa.

Commanda Vision

The vision calls for freeing the Chaudière Falls, for an aboriginal centre, a peace building meeting site, a city park and a historic interpretive centre at the Chaudière and Victoria Islands within the nation’s capital. The human, environmental, cultural and economic fruits of this global vision benefit Mother Earth, humanity, Aboriginal Peoples and the citizens of the National Capital Region.

Chief Commanda is calling on others to endorse and promote his vision. For more information on how you can help, please check the Healing Page of www.circleofallnations.com


Please consider sharing this e-news with friends or colleagues who have an interest in the river. Forward it now!

___

Ottawa Riverkeeper is a charitable organization,
our business number is 862697059RR0001.