When planning for the Cross Canada Canoe Odyssey was in its infancy, the crew decided that we should try to use any publicity we could generate to benefit a cause we were passionate about. As paddling junkies and outdoor enthusiasts, we have a great appreciation for the water-bodies that we are able to enjoy every time we get on the water. Naturally, we are very supportive of groups that work with Canadians to conserve water bodies and ensure their sustainable stewardship. We also feel that the heritage aspects of Canadian rivers are very important. Two groups in particular came to mind that we had collectively been ‘fans’ of: The Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Canadian Heritage River System (CHRS) – both of whom work tirelessly to conserve Canada’s rivers. The CHRS is Canada’s national river conservation program working to ensure the sustainable management of some of the most important rivers in Canada. The Nature Conservancy of Canada works to protect ecologically significant lands, many of which are water bodies. There are other groups that do similarly fantastic work and we applaud them for it, but we chose to limit our scope to just two organizations.
Now that planning has reached a sort of adolescent stage, we are starting to actually put action to our ideas. We have started our dialogue with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Canadian Heritage Rivers System to find out how our expedition can benefit them. While recently in Ottawa attending an academic conference, Nathalie and I had the privilege of meeting with representatives of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System from Parks Canada. We entered the meeting with one question in mind: How could our expedition benefit the CHRS? I was taken aback by how supportive the people we met with were. They were full of questions concerning the trip and offered to introduce us to media contacts they had in the paddling world. Their communications expertise will be exceptionally beneficial in generating publicity for the expedition. We will acknowledge the CHRS during interaction with the media and do what we can to help make the Canadian Heritage Rivers System better known to Canadians. The meeting left me inspired and feeling as though the CHRS was certainly a program I could believe in. I would encourage everyone to learn more about the Canadian Heritage Rivers System, find out about the Heritage Rivers in their area, and enjoy them. Canada’s rivers are a treasure. As Canadians, we should work collectively to conserve and protect them for the enjoyment of future generations. <Ross>
