Blue Legacy is thrilled to return to Canada on September 12, 2013 to explore and film the Ottawa River,
the natural and cultural heart of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, as part of River Mission, a joint initiative of
Blue Legacy International, Alexandra Cousteau’s water advocacy non-profit, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and the
Ottawa Riverkeeper.
The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation has funded River Mission, a
multi-step initiative, to mobilize politicians, influential leaders, local communities and the entire population of Quebec to protect the Ottawa River, one of the most important rivers in Canada. As part of the initiative, Alexandra Cousteau will lead her expedition crew to the Ottawa River to tell the story of one of Canada's greatest river and how government and citizens are innovating ways to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for the river. “We can’t forget what the river was like in its full glory,” said Ottawa Riverkeeper Meredith Brown. “One project at a time, one action at a time, we can work toward our larger goals.”
The film on the Ottawa River
Cousteau and her crew will spend 10 days shooting three short films about the river's water quality, biodiversity and governance, respectively -- and the people that champion those causes.
"What drew us to this region is the solution-oriented advocacy among its citizens to ensure a healthy future for this watershed", says Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of famed undersea explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau. "It's wonderful to see a community advocate for its freshwater resources and we're delighted to be able to share that story with a wider audience."
From government leadership improving aging infrastructure, to organized citizen monitoring programs, communities in Quebec and Ontario are demonstrating an
increasing awareness and urgency for tackling the river’s water challenges. The ways in which Canadians are taking action to restore this critical water source carries lessons and inspiration far beyond the 200 municipalities and two million people that the Ottawa river serves. By looking just across the border where an estimated 850 billion gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater is discharged each year in the U.S., the need to capture and share successful approaches to solving these water quality challenges is evident.
Solutions
Similarly, the expedition team will explore ways in which
hydroelectric dams along the river can be built without compromising a river’s aquatic biodiversity. With an estimated 2,350 hydro dams in North America , according to the
National Hydropower Association, and 596 in Canada, according to
Environment Canada , the pressing question of balancing sustainable development to protect aquatic biodiversity while meeting the energy needs of a growing population and supporting commercial business along the river presents a highly complex and dynamic challenge.
Blue Legacy’s crew will look for leading examples of successful collaboration across diverse stakeholders and innovative solutions for establishing and ensuring this delicate balance.
How the river’s citizens are reclaiming the river's sustainable future is a topic close to Blue Legacy's heart. "Water is a critical life support system and for the first time in history, people are reclaiming their water," says Alexandra Cousteau. "We are thrilled to be able to tell that story in the Ottawa River region." Whether it’s through the work of passionate scientists, dedicated government officials or individual volunteers, the community along the Ottawa river has mobilized to restore and preserve this vital source of life, health and business.
Alexandra Cousteau and
Blue Legacy will start filming in the Ottawa region on September 12th, 2013. People can
follow the team in the field and stay looped into the adventure as Cousteau and her crew members post updates to
Facebook,
Instagram, and
Twitter.
Media Contacts:
Dominique Laverdure
E: dominique@rougemarketing.com
T: 514-378-8684
Amanda Pope
E: Amanda.pope@bluelegacy.net
T: +1 310 699 8160
