What an incredible evening we had at the annual Ottawa Riverkeeper Gala (la Sentinelle de la rivière des Outaouais)—an important event for celebrating the Ottawa River and its essential riverkeepers, such as Meredith Brown.
In addition to the location—Lemieux Island—and the exceptional programming of the evening,
which opened with traditional chants and dances, this was a very special event for us. The Foundation was honoured as the winner of the “2017 Water Leader” award, and Philippe IV de Gaspé Beaubien, co-founder of the AquaHacking movement, was present to receive the very symbolic “Tributaries 4” paddle. Alongside Claude Perras, Executive Director of the Foundation, and Dominique Monchamp, Senior Advisor and former ED of the Foundation, Mr. de Gaspé Beaubien shared his joy and thanked everyone who has worked for the past five years to bring AquaHacking to life with results as concrete as the
Ottawa Riverkeeper.
Designed by Echo Paddles, the wooden paddle is comprised of four shafts winding together to meet in a single paddle blade, just as the Ottawa River and its tributaries meet at the St. Lawrence River. The tributaries in this case represent the four generations of the de Gaspé Beaubien family, combining at the point where direction and forward movement occur in the water.
Despite a few rain showers during the evening, Lemieux Island turned out to be the perfect location for welcoming some 450 guests. The site was magnificently laid out and decorated under two enormous tents trimmed with hanging lights and white umbrellas. And, of course, there was a generous supply of unlimited food and drink with something for everyone and every taste.
During the evening, we enjoyed the company of Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and his City Councillor, David Chernushenko, Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, and Canadian Minister of Environment and Ottawa member of Parliament Catherine McKenna.
Senator Murry Sinclair was also present. He was awarded the title of “Honorary Riverkeeper” and gave a moving speech on the importance of access to water for all, the healing spirit of the river and the vital role that water plays in our lives. Journalist Evan Solomon hosted the event, and singer Kathleen Edwards, musician and Ottawa Riverkeeper ambassador, got the crowd dancing.
Finally, we learned that the event was a true success as it raised
more than $265,000, proving that it really does take a watershed to protect a river.
To relive the evening in pictures, check out
the Riverkeeper Gala album on Flickr.
