Welcome!
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 sustainably managed. Read more...
What's new!
- Register now!
- New Logo and Website for the 2013 River Conference!
- War of 1812 Ghost Walk by the St. Marys River
- Upcoming Military Heritage Days on the Banks of the Detroit River
- Experience Canadian Heritage Rivers Photo Contest
- Come Celebrate Canadian Rivers Day!
- South Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Rivers Officially Nominated as a Canadian Heritage River!
- 2011 Photo Contest Winners
- Communities at Work on Heritage Rivers
- Paddling Across the Country?! Are You Crazy?!
Register now!
June 16-19, 2013: Delta Prince Edward
The Canadian River Heritage Conference is a triennial event that showcases the heritage of Canadian rivers, successes, innovations, needs and challenges in river heritage conservation, and management, restoration, education, tourism, recreation and community leadership in this field.
- Learn more about the conference at: http://www.riversconference.ca/
- Take advantage of the Early Bird Registration
- We welcome new abstract submissions
Contact: contact@riversconference.ca
New Logo and Website for the 2013 River Conference!
The Hillsborough River Association, the host of the 7th Canadian River Heritage Conference in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, is pleased to unveil the conference logo and announce the launch of the conference website.
The vibrant logo for the 2013 conference draws on the images of the feather, Province House and chaloupe to represent the rich cultural heritage that has evolved on Prince Edward Island since its first inhabitants. The logo uses three strong colours to represent the waters, the soils, and the vegetation that have enriched life on Prince Edward Island.
The Canadian River Heritage Conference brings together a diverse range of individuals interested in the natural, cultural, and socio-economic values of rivers and their watersheds. The 2013 conference, held from June 16th to 19th, will focus on the primary theme of “Rivers: Building Nations...Sustaining Peoples.” Be sure to check out the new conference website for more information.
War of 1812 Ghost Walk by the St. Marys River
Step back in time as the spirits of Fort St Joseph come to life! Parks Canada’s Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site is hosting War of 1812 Ghost Walks on Friday, August 17 and Saturday, August 18. Walk through the ruins by candlelight and listen as spirits share stories about life at the Fort in 1812.
Located at the southern-most point of St. Joseph Island where the St. Marys River widens into Lake Huron, the Fort St. Joseph army base served two strategic functions: protecting the vital waterway to the upper Great Lakes and sustaining the alliance between the British Indian Department and the First Nations in the Upper Great Lakes region. The declaration of War in 1812 threatened the small garrison at Fort St. Joseph, and in a pre-emptive strike, Captain Charles Roberts led his party of soldiers, Native allies and civilian volunteers from Fort St. Joseph to the American fort on Mackinac Island. Word of the war had not yet reached the Americans, and unprepared, they surrendered without a shot being fired and northern Michigan remained in British hands for the rest of the war.
The St. Marys River was added to the Canadian Heritage Rivers System because of its outstanding cultural values. Places like Fort St. Joseph, which has come to symbolize the commercial and military alliance that existed between the British and the First Nation Peoples of the western Great Lakes region, are key contributors to the river’s national historic significance.
Read more about Parks Canada’s War of 1812 Commemorative Events.
Read more about the War of 1812.
Upcoming Military Heritage Days on the Banks of the Detroit River
As part of Parks Canada’s War of 1812 Commemorations, Fort Malden National Historic Site in Amherstburg, Ontario, will be hosting Military Heritage Days on Saturday, August 4th and Sunday, August 5th. The Fort Malden event, with tactical demonstrations, military encampments and unique children’s activities, is part of the Town of Amhertburg’s Roots to Boots Festival which includes a tall ship visit, parade, music, theatre and more. Bring the whole family to an astounding weekend of fire power and fun!
Fort Amherstburg was constructed in 1796 near the mouth of the Detroit River, and was the headquarters for the British Indian Department which forged and maintained alliances with First Nations in southwestern Upper Canada during the War of 1812. The British destroyed Fort Amherstburg when they were forced to retreat in September 1813, and Fort Malden was later erected in its place.
The Detroit River’s designation to the Canadian Heritage Rivers System was due to its extensive human heritage, including the British near-bloodless capture of Detroit in 1812 and its significant impact on British/First Nations alliances.
Read more about Parks Canada’s War of 1812 Commemorative Events.
Read more about the War of 1812.
Experience Canadian Heritage Rivers Photo Contest Visiting a Canadian Heritage River this summer? Take some photos and enter the Experience Canadian Heritage Rivers photo contest! You could win great prizes. Categories: |
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Contest runs from May 15, 2012 to October 31, 2012.
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Come Celebrate Canadian Rivers Day!
Since 2002, Canadian Rivers Day has been held annually on the second Sunday of June. This year, Canadian Rivers Day falls on June 10th.
Rivers Day provides Canadians with the opportunity to acknowledge the vital role rivers play in our communities and in our country’s history and geography.
Take the time to celebrate your river this Rivers Day!
Plan or participate in a river cleanup, a community river festival, or an excursion on a local river with friends or family.
List of Planned Canadian Rivers Day Events, Sunday June 10, 2012:
- Clearwater River, Alberta, Fort McMurray Canadian Rivers Day
- Gatineau River, Quebec, Heritage Paddle and Gatineau River Celebration,
- Grand River, Ontario, Two Rivers Festival
- Ottawa River, Ontario , OWL Rafting’s Voyageur Heritage Weekend
- Ottawa River, Ontario, Paddlequest 2012
- Red River, Manitoba, Canadian Rivers Day Celebration
- Salmon River, British Columbia, Canadian Rivers Day on the Salmon
- South Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Rivers, Saskatchewan, River Critters, Creek Dipping
- Waterloo, Ontario, Grand Porch Party
Please contact andrea.mcneil@pc.gc.ca to add your Rivers Day event to this list.
South Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Rivers Officially Nominated as a Canadian Heritage River!
As announced by the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, the South Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Rivers have been collectively nominated to the Canadian Heritage River System based on their rich cultural heritage. The process to officially designate the rivers to the System will now begin.
First Nations were first attracted to the area some 10,000 years ago, and the rivers have since played a vital role in the fur trade, the establishment of Métis communities and the subsequent Northwest Resistance. The importance of the rivers continues today as they provide water for hydro-electric power, community water supplies, flood control, industrial development, and agricultural irrigation, in addition to being key sites for recreation and tourism.
Read the official Nomination Document
Read the official May 18, 2012 announcement
Métis dancers celebrating the nomination of the South Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Rivers. ©Gabriel Dumont Institute / Bonnie Hrycuik
2011 Photo Contest Winners
Rapid Media and the Canadian Heritage Rivers System are pleased to announce the winners of their first annual Canadian Heritage Rivers Photo Contest.
Of the hundreds of photos entered, 12 winners were chosen from four categories. The winning photos have been published in the Spring 2012 issue of Family Camping and Canoeroots Magazine, and have begun their North American tour as part of the 2012 Reel Paddling Film Festival. The winners were also awarded prizes with a total value of over $6000.
Congratulations to all our winners, and thank you very much to all those who entered the contest! View the winning photos in the chrs.ca photo gallery.
Next year’s contest will be launched May 1, 2012. Categories and other information will be posted on the CHRS blog in the coming months, as well as on Canoeroots’ website.
Parks Canada’s Canadian Heritage Rivers
1st place: Yu Sheng
2nd place: Rick Matthews
3rd place: Jason Kuruc
Canadian Heritage Rivers and You
1st place: Doug Hamilton
2nd place: Nick Troutman
3rd place: Rick Matthews
Canadian Heritage Rivers and Culture
1st place: Ryan Marko
2nd place: Doug Hamilton
3rd place: Dale Dewar
Canadian Heritage Rivers and Nature
1st place: Justin Fabian
2nd place: Claudia Schwab
3rd place: Lee Gilbert
Communities at Work on Heritage Rivers
Congratulations to the Humber Watershed Alliance, who were awarded the 2011 National Achievement Award for Volunteer Contribution from the Heritage Canada Foundation.
Volunteers at the Humber Watershed Alliance created a comprehensive inventory of the heritage bridges on the Humber River. This inventory, Crossing the Humber: the Humber Heritage Bridge Inventory, is the first of its kind for the Greater Toronto Area. It provides information on each of the 33 identified bridges that pass over the Humber River.
The Humber Watershed Alliance’s commitment to promoting and protecting the heritage value of the Humber River is a great example of how vital community members and associations are to the success of the CHRS program.
Read more about the Humber River.
Read more about the Humber Watershed Alliance’s recognition award.
Paddling Across the Country?!?! Are you Crazy?!
Can you imagine someone paddling across the country in a canoe? Is that even possible? It sure is! Cross Canada Canoe Odyssey is doing just that. They are a group of experienced paddlers who will be traveling across Canada by canoe in less than 170 days. Their goal is to raise awareness about Canada’s waterways and the significance of their values for the Nature Conservatory of Canada and the Canadian Heritage Rivers System.
To learn more about Cross Canada Canoe Odyssey or to track their progress, visit their website at http://cancanoeodyssey.sportisite.com/home.