About the Conference
Conference Theme
Rivers are a proud and vital part of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage. They connect our communities and help define our country.
As reflected in the title of the conference (Our Living Rivers: Linking Nature, People and Places through Time), rivers link us to each other, to the environment and to our past. Emblems of our natural and cultural heritage, rivers will continue to provide ecological, economic and social benefits for present and future generations.
Within this vision of the central place of rivers in our lives, three sub-themes will be developed through the conference:
- Sustaining Our River Heritage
- Promoting Heritage and Recreational Opportunities, and
- Optimizing Economic and Social Benefits.
Program
The conference will include plenary sessions, concurrent sessions, two interactives workshops, a panel discussion, and focused field trips. For more information on the conference schedule, visit Conference Program
Accommodation
Competitive rates have been negotiated at the Lord Elgin Hotel, Les Suites and at the University of Ottawa, all of which are in close proximity to the Government of Canada Conference Centre. More information on each of these options is available on the Registration page.
Language
The conference will be fully bilingual, with French and English simultaneous translation available to all participants.
Who Attends
The conference brings together an international group, including professional river managers, advocates, researchers, First Nations representatives, industry spokespeople, academics, scientists, and government partners.
A signature component of the conference will be the active engagement of youth, reflecting the importance of this audience to the future of Canada’s and the world’s rivers.
Why Ottawa-Gatineau?
In the nation’s capital, three of Canada’s historic waterways converge at the conference site: the Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau Rivers. With the recent designation of the Rideau as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the nomination of the Ottawa River as a Canadian Heritage River, the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau are steeped in river history.
While the conference itself will be held in the Government Conference Centre, in Ottawa, the Opening Evening Event will be held at the National Arts Centre, in Ottawa and the Great Rivers Rendezvous Evening event will be held at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, in Gatineau.
The Conference Logo
The “Our Living Rivers” conference logo depicts the presence and vibrant nature of aquatic life in a river. The eyes in the river reflect the living nature of water and the myriad web of life it supports. The abstract style of the logo represents the cultural associations we have with our rivers through history, art and imagination.