Blog

Radioactive waste from nuclear facilities is still being brought to Chalk River Laboratories, and Canada still has no credible long-term plan for where it will go next. As the federal government pushes to expand nuclear power, Ottawa Riverkeeper is concerned about the risky practice of moving this waste without a clear destination.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has announced a fine for the release of a deleterious substance into the Lièvre River, a tributary of the Ottawa River. The incident occurred in 2019, the same year as major fish kills in the Lièvre, when thousands of dead fish washed up along the shores of the Ottawa River. ECCC says it did not find a link between the discharge and the fish deaths. Will we ever know the full story?

As our 2025-2026 road salt monitoring gets underway, we take a look at how the program is evolving and how we’re pushing for better public accountability on road salt management in the National Capital Region.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories has been moving more, and more dangerous, waste to the Chalk River Laboratories site, despite storage for this waste being up in the air. We have significant concerns around the transportation of this dangerous waste, and how long it will spend at Chalk River Laboratories before being moved to a permanent storage location.

We highlight concerning changes to conservation in Ontario being rolled out in 2025.

With the 2025 Quebec municipal elections approaching, we want to highlight the important role of municipalities in safeguarding our waterways and what to keep in mind when your municipality goes to the polls.

On June 22, 2025, Ottawa Riverkeeper proudly became a signatory to the Swimmable Cities Charter, joining a global movement that champions the right to swim and celebrates urban swimming culture.

In the summer of 2025, Sarah Dobbin swam an incredible 50 km along the Ottawa River, creating a new marathon route while simultaneously fundraising for Ottawa Riverkeeper and raising awareness about open water swimming. Read about her experience in her own words in this guest blog!

A new program with Ottawa Riverkeeper is trying to better understand the invasive species reports we have received in the watershed. A recent report of European water chestnut in the southern part of the Ottawa River underscores the importance of being able to map the presence and distribution of these species. While this isn’t something we celebrate, it clearly highlights why early detection is critical to limiting the spread of invasive species.

Ottawa Riverkeeper has officially celebrated the installation of museum-style exhibits to connect the public to the Ottawa River in new ways, thanks to a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

We are frustrated and disappointed by Ottawa Public Health’s decision to stick with weekly testing at City-run beaches into the 2026 swim season, and by the Board of Health’s refusal to intervene. This is bad news for public health and the long-term understanding of water quality trends.

As summer draws to a close and temperatures begin to cool, you might expect algal blooms to disappear along with the heat. But surprisingly, there can be an increase in blooms in early fall. So what is driving this seasonal resurgence?

Ottawa Riverkeeper’s Water Quality Assistant for the summer of 2025, Maya Lawson, shares some of her experiences going to beaches to test water quality this summer, and the connections she made with people and the river!

Ottawa Riverkeeper staff recently took part in a boat washing activity at the Aylmer Marina, hosted by OZero and the City of Gatineau, and we came away inspired!

Following her Current Conversations talk, Honorary Riverkeeper Jill Heinerth shares a behind-the-scenes look at her work exploring underwater caves, and how collaboration and community drive river conservation.

European Water Chestnut is choking parts of the Ottawa River, but what does it take to remove it? This summer, Ottawa Riverkeeper staff joined COBALI and the Kitigan Zibi Guardians Program in a hands-on effort at Baie de Lochaber to tackle this invasive species.

Ottawa Riverkeeper has released a detailed report on the distribution and abundance of key invasive species within the Ottawa River watershed. Alongside the report, we have launched new tools to help community scientists identify and report invasive species in their regions.

Ottawa has long been a leader in taking water quality seriously. However, recent reductions in testing, as announced by the City of Ottawa, are a massive step backward. Urge the City to return to daily testing in 2025 so swimmers have the information they need!

The Riverkeeper Gala 2025, presented by IBC, was a resounding success, thanks to the amazing sponsors, volunteers, and guests who made it possible. Relive the highlights!

What do farmers, scientists, mayors, conservationists, Algonquin community members, and community leaders have in common? Last month, they all came together on the shores of Lake Temiskaming for the annual Building Ties meeting to talk about something that connects them all: the health of the lake.