PHOTO: Kayaker on Ottawa River. (photo courtesy of Thinkstock)

At the beginning of 2016, 38 rivers across Canada were designated members of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS), Canada’s national river conservation program. One noticeably missing member: The Ottawa River, a waterway so significant it is frequently referred to as the "original Trans-Canada highway,"

The river travels through the heart of Algonquin land and has been used to transport goods, people and culture for millennia, making it a key player in the economic and political growth of the province during the fur and timber eras. Today, the river produces a significant portion of Ontario's hydroelectric power.

Although the river has been included on a “nominated” list for nearly a decade, today the Ontario portion of the Ottawa River has finally received official status as a Canadian Heritage River, in recognition of its outstanding cultural heritage values.

"Our nation's capital owes its long history and indeed its very existence to this great river,” said The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Minister responsible for Parks Canada and Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre. “As a vibrant part of Ottawa's tourism industry today, and the heartland of the Algonquin First Nations, the Ottawa River has a fascinating and diverse history and continues to provide cultural and business opportunities for the communities along its banks. I am thrilled this river is getting the recognition it so rightly deserves."

Only the 590-km stretch of the Ottawa River that borders the province of Ontario, running from the head of Lake Timiskaming to East Hawkesbury, is eligible for heritage status, however.

"The Province of Ontario is delighted that the Ottawa River has now fully joined the Canadian Heritage Rivers System,” said the Honourable Kathryn McGarry, Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. “This Canadian Heritage River designation will provide the opportunity for communities both large and small, from Hawkesbury to Haileybury to join together with the Algonquin First Nation in celebration of the Ottawa's rich cultural heritage and its world-class recreational activities."

The portion of the river that flows through Quebec, however, will remain, well, an ordinary river.

That’s because the CHRS, which falls under the jurisdiction of Parks Canada, is a joint federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Joint being the key word, as Quebec has opted out of participating in the program, which makes all of its provincial rivers ineligible for heritage status.

In Canada, heritage status helps conserve and promote member rivers. With membership in the program, the river receives a voluntary management plan to help ensure a sustainable future.

The Government of Canada says it is working with the Government of Quebec to establish recognition of the heritage value of Quebec's stretch, the Outaouais River, as the waterway has significantly contributed to the province's economic and political growth.

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