Bonnie Jean-Louis is a Riverwatcher in Hawkesbury, Ontario, where she uses her position as representative of local citizens group Les Citoyens Responsables and as coordinator of La Ligne Verte to raise awareness about environmental and waste management issues.
Hawkesbury is a community of roughly 12,000 people located along the Ottawa river between Montreal and Ottawa. Ms. Jean-Louis has identified the presence of Industry, Hydro Dams, Agriculture, Marinas, and waste water disposal as key issues facing the Ottawa river in her area. Also of particular importance is the degraded shoreline, polluted with garbage and oil residue. She feels that better citizen awareness of proper waste management processes would go a long way to helping preserve the watershed.
Ms. Jean-Louis says the historical industrial roots of the city present an environmental challenge: “The Town itself was developed by the [pulp and paper] industry that relied on the Ottawa River. We therefore live with the remnants of this influence from our past and we’d like to create a different vision for our future.” The Pulp and Paper industry left a toxic lagoon on the banks of the Ottawa river at Hawkesbury and while the Province of Ontario has begun a project to clean the lagoon, Ms. Jean-Louis feels that there is not enough information about the options and that “there is a big need to demystify the whole situation for the community.”
That lagoon, as well sewage treatment in plants and septic tanks, garbage, and agricultural pesiticides (especially from upstream)are some of the most prolific sources of water contamination. Water levels in the river at Hawkeseberry are also sensitive not just to weather precipitation levels, but also upstream use by agriculture and hydro-electric dams.
At present, there are concerns both with swimming and eating the fish from the river in her area. Some houses also lack water filtration systems, which makes even drinking the water a concern.
Contact Bonnie
613-632-2457