As a potential next step for the Ottawa River, we recommend assessing a suitable location for a ladder at the Carillon Generating Station over the next 1-2 migration seasons coupled with a commitment to providing passage the following year. Studies conducted by Hydro QC and Milieu Inc. in 2001 and 2010 revealed that more elvers approach the southern turbines than northern ones; however, shorelines, the shipping canal, and the spillway were not assessed. It is reasonable to delay installing a permanent ladder until such assessments are completed; however, free passage should be provided by the 2019 migration season. Consideration should be given to translocating elvers captured during such assessments above the Carillon Generating Station. Continue reading
Category Archives: Ottawa River
Proposed Energy East Pipeline Conversion through Algonquin Territories
Ontario Rivers Alliance was very pleased to have Rosanne VanSchie make a presentation on behalf of Chief Lance Haymond, of Kaboawek First Nation ( formally Eagle Village) at our 12 June 2016 General Meeting in North Bay. Presentation:
Take a 3D Fly-over along the Energy East Pipeline route in Ontario
Take a 3D Fly-over along the entire Ontario length of the existing TransCanada pipeline slated for conversion to bitumen transport. Every stream, river and lake that the line bisects is identified and displayed. It certainly provides a birds-eye view of what could be lost should a leak occur. This will graphically explain why ORA has applied for Intervenor Status in the National Energy Board hearings.
This amazing piece of work was prepared by THeIA GeoAnalytics, out of North Bay. Check it out:
Energy East Pipeline Proposal – ORA meets Petawawa Town Council

On the 13th of April 2015, Dr Alan Hepburn, a member of ORA’s Board of Directors, made a presentation to the Petawawa Town Council to inform them of concerns regarding the Energy East Pipeline proposal. Dr. Hepburn was very well received and plans to present to other municipalities along the Ottawa Valley pipeline route.
ORA is requesting that municipalities make a formal motion or declaration that they are unwilling hosts to the Energy East Pipeline as it is presently proposed. You can find more detailed information about our concerns by checking out the presentation below.
A Daily Observer news article is posted here.
Chaudière and Albert Island – Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments – 3 and 4 Booth Street
Victoria, Albert and Chaudière Islands are sacred lands of the Anishinaabe people, and of high spiritual significance. ORA is requesting that this area remain a natural park space where First Nations and the public can gather now and into the future. Chaudière Falls is located on unceded Algonquin land, and the Algonquins of Ontario must provide informed consent before any plans are considered. Continue reading
Free Chaudiere Falls, by Lindsay Lambert

Chaudiere
Lindsay Lambert is advocating for the undamming of Chaudière Falls in Ottawa and restoring them to their natural glory as Canada’s project for the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.
Located between Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec, Chaudière Falls were second only to Niagara, and many people once considered them more interesting in their variety and setting. The main feature was the Asticou, or “Big Kettle”, where the waterfall came into almost a full circle. It was once a greater arc than Niagara’s infamous Horseshoe Falls. Over eons, the fierce water flow had worn the stone at the base into a giant bowl. The water would swirl around and bubble up, like boiling water. There would always be a mist, and on a bright summer day one would be sure to see a rainbow. Continue reading
Blue Legacy expedition 2014, by Alexandra Cousteau

Nature’s Course
Ottawa River – Understanding our river
Blue Legacy International, founded and directed by Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of the famous oceanographer, produced 3 short documentaries on the Ottawa River. These films focus on governance, water quality and the impact of dams on biodiversity. The production of these documentaries was made possible through funding from the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation.
Chenaux Generating Station, Ottawa River

Chenaux Generating Station
Chats Falls Generating Station, Ottawa River
Chats Falls Generating Station
The Cradle Rocks While the Grandfather’s of Our Country Tell their Stories
The Chaudiere Falls in the heart of Canada’s capitol has been harnessed for hydro since 1908, it was a breathtaking work of nature, a sacred and significant place to the first peoples of this land, a setting where the Ottawa River plunged in a spectacular array in the form of a horseshoe. Canadian artist and author of the mid to late 1800’s, William S. Hunter in 1855 wrote that it was only second to Niagara in its extent and in the height and referred to its kettle like appearance with, “seething and frothing of the surface, in its continual whirl, assist in completing the resemblance,” adding that the sun would often produce more than one rainbow over its surface. While some see its likeness as a horseshoe shape, and others a kettle—it’s also viewed as a cradle of Canadian civilization. Continue reading