Working together for the health of the Ottawa River
Deborah Powell
Local Journalism Initiative
Published in the Pontiac Journal on June 4, 2025.
OTTAWA RIVER VALLEY – The Ottawa River Concertation Table (TCO) held its
third annual water stakeholders’ assembly online on May 29, bringing together nearly
40 participants from across the length of the river.
The TCO’s targeted zone extends from the Première-Chute dam in Notre-Dame-du-Nord, Témiscamingue, to the Carillon dam in Saint-André-d’Argenteuil. It includes the waterway as well as a 1,500-metre strip of land on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River.
The TCO’s mission is “to promote discussion and consultation between stakeholders to attain concerted objectives related to the issues concerning the Ottawa River,” with a
vision to “place the river back at the heart of the decisions and concerns of the various stakeholders who have an influence on its integrity.”
TCO coordinator Janie Larivière presented an update on last year’s work, which included tabling an action plan with more than 80 items. She noted the plan is constantly evolving as new priorities emerge. The TCO also began a stakeholder tour, visiting 20 municipalities and collecting local concerns through surveys. This outreach will continue in the coming year, including work with stakeholders on the Ontario side of the river.
Three short partner presentations were also given. Geneviève Michon, TCO president
and project coordinator with the City of Gatineau’s Service de la transition écologique,
gave an overview of Gatineau’s water management plan. She presented it as a model of what municipalities can do to protect water resources.
Next, Nathalie St-Amour from the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) Department
of Social Work spoke about the new regional branch of the Quebec intersectoral flood network (RIISQ) hosted at UQO. RIISQ brings together government stakeholders,
socio-economic partners and researchers from all academic fields to improve Quebec’s ability to make science-based decisions for flood preparation and protection. St-Amour emphasized that the branch aims to respond to “real needs,” using research on well contamination after flooding as an example.
The final presentation came from Bianca Bédard of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue regional environmental council (CREAT), who described efforts to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species by installing boat-washing stations. These are the only effective way to
stop boaters—including canoeists and kayakers—from transporting invasive species between waterbodies. Bédard acknowledged that more needs to be done to improve
access to these facilities. Jean-François Houle, a biologist from SEPAQ’s Parc national
de Plaisance, also emphasized that all watercraft should be washed after leaving the Ottawa River before entering any other waterway.
Continuing on the theme of invasive species, Pierre-Étienne Drolet from the Lièvre
River Watershed Committee (COBALI) invited volunteers to help remove European water chestnut from Lochaber Bay, between Masson-Angers and Thurso, from July 8 to 24.
Detailed information about the TCO’s mandate, structure and work is available at tcriviereoutaouais.ca.
Photo – A mobile boat-washing station being delivered to the Lac Matchi-Manitou
Outfitter, east of Val-d’Or, as part of the work of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue
environmental council and its partners. (CREAT)
