Capital offence

[Spiel]

Capital offence

 

 

February 19th, 2009

Ed Hand / Outdoor Canada

 

 

Hot spot: despite great fishing, the Ottawa River faces problems. Photo courtesy Mark Krupa

 

 

If we can’t protect the Ottawa, what does that mean for our other rivers?

 

A dark secret has been swirling in the Ottawa River, implicating all levels of government and leaving more than just the stench of bad politics hanging over the city. Through a series of gaffes from federal, provincial and municipal politicians, one of the most diverse fisheries in Canada has been left suffering from neglect when it really should be basking in the sunshine of a Canadian Heritage Rivers System designation.

 

In a story that would make Homer Simpson look like a Mensa giant, it all started back in August 2006, when 1.2 billion litres of raw sewage was dumped into the Ottawa. The flow ran for a week because of a jammed valve in the city’s storm water system, with one of the pipes draining right behind the Prime Minister’s residence, no less.

 

What was the reaction from the three levels of government? Nothing. Certainly not right away, at least. Sure, the city employee who didn’t report the spill has since been fired, but he’s appealing the case. Two other managers were also let go after the city’s auditor general blamed “incompetence” and neglect of the system for the spill-this after the incident finally became public just last spring.

 

That happened when city councillor Bob Monette was on a tour of the waste treatment facility and overheard an offhanded remark about a spill in 2006. Alarm bells immediately went off. Monette’s ward happens to contain Petrie Island Beach, a wonderful place to spend the day with the family-as long as you weren’t in the water back in 2006. The city had just spent $2 million upgrading the beach, only to have it open for 11 days that summer. Even more money then went into a study to find out why the pollution levels were so high.

 

Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, meanwhile, is supposed to obtain a report on any such spill, but it didn’t receive a thing until May 2007. And what did it do then? Nothing. Environment Minister John Gerretsen said he thought an investigation had been launched, but later remarked, “I stand to be corrected on that.”

 

In the end, politicians stumbled over each other to initiate four separate investigations into the sewer discharge and its effect on the river. The City of Ottawa ended up facing two charges from the Ministry of the Environment and was ultimately fined more than $550,000, one of the largest penalties levied against a municipality for environmental wrongdoing.

 

In an effort to save face, the city and the federal government have each pledged $20 million to clean up the river. The Ontario government is balking at chipping in, however, despite the waterway being an area of joint responsibility between the feds and the province. And there hasn’t been a peep from the Quebec government-even though the City of Gatineau reports it dumped raw sewage into the river 1,500 times in 2007 and another 500 last year.

 

The Ottawa River is a majestic waterway, flowing from northern Quebec into the St. Lawrence River. It serves as the border between Ontario and Quebec, and it’s a source of drinking water for more than one million people. And it boasts a bevy of sportfish, from bass, walleye, pike and muskie to drum, sauger, gar, sturgeon and panfish. You’ll also find kayakers and rowers paddling in the shadow of Parliament Hill. The river’s contribution to the local quality of life simply can’t be measured.

 

This incident serves as a wake-up call, not just for Ottawa, but for all communities across Canada that enjoy the benefits of a waterfront location. For residents, it’s up to you to use the resource responsibly-and to keep your elected officials accountable. And for politicians who claim the environment is their top concern, it’s time to walk the walk. Only then will the stench of neglect give way to the sweet scent of environmental stewardship.

 

RIVER RESCUERS

 

Set up in 1984 by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, the Canadian Heritage Rivers System is a national program designed to celebrate, manage and protect the country’s leading waterways. Starting with Ontario’s French River in 1986, the conservation program now includes 40 rivers across the country. Currently under consideration for joining the list? The Ottawa River, which was nominated last May. For more information, go to www.chrs.ca.