Ottawa RiverKeeper celebrates 25th anniversary
Posted Nov 1, 2026 10:44:58 AM.
Ottawa RiverKeeper, a non-profit which helps keep the Ottawa River clean, celebrated 25 years of environmental advocacy on Oct. 30.
“Everybody is drinking water that’s sourced from the river,” said Ottawa RiverKeeper CEO Laura Reinsborough in a video. “The river is such a foundational part of our identities, of our communities.”
The organization brings together volunteers, businesses and governments to work together and find solutions to issues impacting the river.
They partnered with the National Capital Commission to make the waterway more accessible.
Reinsborough said the partnership allowed them to test water for swimming.
Ottawa RiverKeeper operates under the Waterkeeper Alliance model, where each member group is headed by a Waterkeeper. The Waterkeeper speaks for their body of water, advocating for its protection and health.
Back when it was founded in 2001, the founding group created a board of directors and started Ottawa Riverkeeper, the third Waterkeeper program in Canada to be licensed by the international Waterkeeper Alliance.
In 2003, Ottawa Riverkeeper became a registered charity and received funding for a full time Riverkeeper.
Reinsborough said the group will continue environmental stewardship and work with the river to discover what else can be done.
