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Canadian Heritage Rivers System

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The Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS; French: Le réseau de rivières du patrimoine canadien) is a joint program administered by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to conserve and protect the best examples of Canada's river heritage, to give them national recognition, and to encourage the public to enjoy and appreciate them.[1] It is a cooperative program of the governments of Canada, nine provinces, and the three territories. A 14-member national board, created under the Parks Canada Agency Act, administers the program and approves the designation of specific rivers.[2]

Individual jurisdictions can co-nominate and co-designate their respective rivers or river segments in accordance with guidance from the program Charter,[3] and Strategic Plan,[4] and the Principles, Procedures and Operational Guidelines (PPOG).[5]

History

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The Canadian Heritage Rivers System was established in 1984.[6] The first Canadian Heritage River was the French River in Ontario, designated in 1986.[7]

By 1996 there were 29 designated rivers.[2]

Quebec withdrew its participation in 2006.[8] There are currently 42 designated, and one nominated river or river segments; with rivers designated in every province and territory except for Quebec.[9]

The most recent designation under the Canadian Heritage Rivers System has been a 718-kilometre segment of the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta, which was originally nominated by Smoky Lake County in 2021, and finally designated in 2024 and extends the 49-kilometre portion within Banff National Park which was originally recognized in 1989.[10]

Designated rivers

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The rivers currently designated as a Canadian Heritage River are:

River Province/Territory Year
Alsek River Yukon 1986
Arctic Red River Northwest Territories 1993
Athabasca River (Jasper National Park) Alberta 1989
Bay du Nord River Newfoundland 2006
Bloodvein River Manitoba/Ontario 1987/1998
Bonnet Plume River Yukon 1998
Boundary Waters Ontario 1996
Clearwater River Saskatchewan/Alberta 1987/2004
Cowichan River British Columbia 2003
Detroit River Ontario/Michigan 2001
Fraser River British Columbia 1998
French River Ontario 1986
Grand River Ontario 1994
Hayes River Manitoba 2006
Hillsborough River Prince Edward Island 1997
Humber River Ontario 1999
Kazan River Nunavut 1990
Kicking Horse River (Yoho National Park) British Columbia 1989
Main River Newfoundland 2001
Margaree River Nova Scotia 1998
Mattawa River Ontario 1988
Missinaibi River Ontario 2004
North Saskatchewan River (Banff National Park) Alberta 1989
North Saskatchewan River (in Alberta, below Banff National Park) Alberta 2024
Ottawa River Ontario 2016
Red River Manitoba 2007
Rideau Waterway Ontario 2000
Saint John River New Brunswick 2013
Seal River Manitoba 1992
Shelburne River Nova Scotia 1997
Soper River Nunavut 1992
South Nahanni River Northwest Territories 1987
St. Croix River New Brunswick 1991
St. Marys River Ontario 2000
Tatshenshini River Yukon 2004
Thames River Ontario 2000
Thelon River Nunavut 1990
The Three Rivers Prince Edward Island 2004
Upper Restigouche River New Brunswick 1998
Yukon River (The Thirty Mile Section) Yukon 1991

Nominated rivers

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River Province/Territory Year
Coppermine River Nunavut 2002

Quebec participation

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Quebec is the only province or territory to not have a designated or nominated river. The province withdrew its participation in the Canadian Heritage Rivers System in 2006.

Quebec's lack of participation affects nominations and designations for rivers shared with other provinces. In 1998, the New Brunswick portion of the Restigouche River was designated (as "Upper Restigouche"), while the Quebec portion was not. The Ottawa River was nominated in 2007 and designated in 2016, but only the Ontario portion of the river was included. The federal government says it's working with Quebec "to establish recognition of the heritage value of Quebec's stretch of the Outaouais River".[11]

Recent program updates

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Changes to the program's Principles, Procedures and Operational Guidelines, and the latest Strategic Plan have aimed to modernize the system.

Specifically, the 2020-2030 Strategic Plan identifies four priorities:

  • Advancing Reconciliation on Canadian Heritage Rivers
  • Strengthening the Canadian Heritage Rivers Network
  • Excellence in River Management and Conservation
  • Engaging Canadians in Celebrating and Stewarding Heritage Rivers

Awards

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The organization has two awards, the Heritage River Award and the Canadian River Stewardship Award. Previous recipients of the Heritage River Award include:

Heritage River Award
1994 Mr. Kirk Wipper, Founder of the Canadian Recreational Canoeing Association, Toronto
1998 Mr. Bill Reid, Haida Artist and Sculptor, Vancouver
2001 Mr. Pierre Elliot Trudeau, former Prime Minister of Canada, Montreal
2004 Elder William Commanda, Algonquin Nation of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, Maniwaki, Quebec
2007 Mr. Hap Wilson, author, wilderness adventurer and artist, Temagami, Ontario
2009 Mr. Max Finkelstein, paddler, author and river advocate, Ottawa
2013 Mr. Don Gibson, river conservation advocate and long-time National Manager of the CHRS program, Ottawa
2016 Professor Bruce and Carol Hodgins, wilderness canoe leaders, educators and operators of Camp Wahnapitae, Peterborough
2021 Bobbi Rose Koe, advocate for youth, river conservationist, watershed protector, Yukon

See also

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References

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  1. ^ John S. Marsh; Bruce W. Hodgins (15 May 1998). Changing Parks: The History, Future and Cultural Context of Parks and Heritage Landscapes. Dundurn. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-55488-130-7.
  2. ^ a b Jeffrey A. McNeely (1 November 1995). Expanding Partnerships in Conservation. Island Press. p. 239. ISBN 978-1-59726-907-0.
  3. ^ "The Canadian Heritage Rivers System Charter | Canadian Heritage Rivers System". chrs.ca. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  4. ^ "2020-2030 Strategic Plan - Canadian Heritage Rivers System". chrs.ca. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Principles, Procedures and Operational Guidelines (PPOG)". chrs.ca. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  6. ^ Max Finkelstein (21 March 2005). Canoeing a Continent: On the Trail of Alexander Mackenzie. Dundurn. p. 275. ISBN 978-1-77070-634-7.
  7. ^ Protected Areas of the World: Nearctic and neotropical. IUCN. 1992. p. 36. ISBN 978-2-8317-0093-9.
  8. ^ "Canadian Heritage Rivers System". The Canadian Encyclopedia
  9. ^ About the Canadian Heritage Rivers System Archived 2013-01-20 at the Wayback Machine on The Canadian Heritage Rivers System
  10. ^ Canada, Parks (22 March 2024). "Governments of Canada and Alberta officially designate Alberta section of the North Saskatchewan River as a Canadian Heritage River". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  11. ^ Ottawa River Designated a Canadian Heritage River Archived 2016-09-15 at the Wayback Machine, Parks Canada news release, July 28, 2016
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