Canada is a land of rivers. White ribbons cascading through endless boreal forest. Silver ribbons sliding down broad, glacier-carved valleys. Meandering muddy rivers sweeping across the prairies. Ribbons of green linking a labyrinth of lakes, ponds and bogs on the Canadian Shield. Sparkling brooks cascading to the ocean. Rivers are everywhere imprinted on the Canadian landscape – and in the hearts and minds of its people.

Part of Our Heritage

Canada is a nation with a rich river heritage. Rivers molded this country and its peoples. We use rivers as travel routes and as a source of livelihood. We swim and fish in their waters, are challenged by their rapids and wilderness, find peace of mind and solitude along their shores. Rivers are part of our lives and our dreams. Rivers are the threads that weave together the natural and human elements of Canada.

But many of our rivers have been severely impacted by dams, diversions, pollution and development. As a result, much of our river heritage is threatened and may be lost forever.

The Canadian Heritage Rivers System

The Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS) is Canada's national river conservation program. It promotes, protects and enhances Canada's river heritage, and ensures that Canada's leading rivers are managed in a sustainable manner. Responsible river stewardship is the ethic it engenders. Cooperation and public support are the strengths it builds upon.

The CHRS is a public trust. Local citizens champion the program. Actions taken are grass roots driven. Governments -- federal, provincial and territorial -- lend support and guidance, and provide approvals as required. Communities, Aboriginal Peoples, landowners, and other stakeholders have their rights and concerns respected. These cornerstones make the CHRS an open and effective forum for collaboration and partnership on river conservation.

Canada honours and respects its leading rivers by distinguishing them as Canadian Heritage Rivers -- places of great pride and importance to Canadians. Having outstanding natural and/or cultural values, and offering quality recreational opportunities, these rivers showcase the benefits and enjoyment of healthy river environments, now and in the future. Rivers in the CHRS must have their heritage values and integrity protected. Every river named to the CHRS strengthens our identity as Canadians, and enables us to better understand, appreciate and celebrate our rich river heritage.

The CHRS is administered by the Canadian Heritage Rivers Board, comprised of members appointed by federal, provincial and territorial governments. The Board is governed by a Charter, affirming the Board's role in overseeing the development and operation of the program. A ten-year strategic plan, reviewed annually by the Board, sets over-arching goals and objectives, defining a blueprint for the future. A Technical Planning Committee reports to the Board on planning-related matters.

Importantly, the CHRS has no legislative authority. Voluntary participation, partnership, cooperation and community involvement are what drive it. It is within this spirit of trust and goodwill that governments pledge to work in partnership with the public and one another to build a system that truly reflects the diversity and beauty of Canada's rivers. Government retain their traditional jurisdictional powers and management responsibilities throughout this process.

Canada's network of rivers is vast and diverse. Canadian Heritage Rivers are its gems, beacons of our natural and cultural heritage. Guidelines exist to ensure that candidate rivers meet the selection and integrity criteria that define Canada's leading rivers. It is not easy to become a Canadian Heritage River. The process is rigorous and lengthy. A river must be proven to posses the requisite natural values, historical importance and recreational potential. Strong public support must also be demonstrated.

Protecting River Heritage

The CHRS was established in 1984 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. It is a cooperative program of the governments of Canada, all 10 provinces, and the three territories. A 15-member national board administers the program. This board is made up of private citizens and senior officials from government departments responsible for the protection of the Canadian environment.

The first Canadian Heritage River was the French River in Ontario, designated in 1986. Today, there are 40 Heritage rivers across Canada, and more are being added to the system each year. They range from the Arctic barrens to southern Ontario’s rich farmlands; from Newfoundland’s rocky hills to the mountains and glaciers of the Yukon. The goal is to establish a system that reflects the diversity of Canada’s river environments and celebrates the role of rivers in Canada’s history and society. The dream is to ensure that these rivers flow into the future with their heritage features protected for generations to come.

Nominating and Designating Canadian Heritage Rivers

Establishing Canadian Heritage Rivers is a two-step process, nomination and designation. Although river nominations may be submitted to the Canadian Heritage Rivers Board only by participating governments, private citizens and groups are encouraged to present submissions to their federal, provincial or territorial board member for any river they feel is worthy. To be considered, the river must have outstanding natural, cultural and/or recreational values, a high level of public support, and it must be demonstrated that sufficient measures will be put in place to ensure that those values will be maintained. Based on these criteria, the responsible government(s) decide(s) whether or not to pursue the nomination of a specific river. Once nominated, the Board reviews the nomination and, if it meets selection guidelines for the System, recommends it to the responsible Ministers.

A nominated river becomes designated once a management plan, or heritage strategy, that ensures the river will be managed to conserve its outstanding natural, cultural and/or recreational values, is lodged with the Board by the government(s) that made the nomination. Production of a management plan or heritage strategy is based on public consultation and consensus. All protective actions on Canadian Heritage Rivers depend on existing laws and regulations, and respect the rights of Aboriginal peoples, communities, private landowners, and other stakeholders.

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