Rideau Corridor Landscape Strategy
Anyone who experiences the Rideau Canal and the communities along its length knows they are in a very special place. You might be a visitor- paddling through a narrow channel of spectacular natural beauty, walking down an historic street soaking in its character or driving through an engineering marvel. You might be a resident- cycling or skating along the Canal, running a shop in one of its many towns and villages, working a century farm, or fishing along its shores near your cottage. Whoever you are, the Rideau Canal Corridor is a place with a unique identity and a remarkable spirit.
The Rideau Canal and its Corridor have been honoured with many distinctions; a National Historic Site, a Canadian Heritage River and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, proclaiming its universal value to humanity. In 2008, the National Geographic Society declared he Rideau the 2nd most authentic, sustainable destination in the World.
These designations are not only an honour; they carry with them an obligation to ensure the universal values that are the basis of the designations are protected. Many people have questions about the implication of World Heritage status, and how communities can both capitalize on this, and maintain it through sensitive, sympathetic development.
Development pressures are creating challenges for the municipalities and other authorities responsible for decisions around land use planning and economic development. There is a growing interest in the region for new residential development such as condos, subdivisions and cottage lots, commercial development such as box stores, strip malls, hotels, tourism facilities and trailers parks, energy production facilities such as wind and solar farms, and mining operations. Decisions must be made about how development should take place.
Following the recommendation of the World Heritage Committee in 2007, Parks Canada has committed to undertaking an assessment of the visual character of the Canal Corridor as part of what is being called the Rideau Corridor Landscape Strategy. The goal of the strategy is to work with First Nations, federal and provincial agencies, municipalities, NGOs, property owners and others to build a new vision for the Rideau. The end result will be guidelines that can be implemented by everyone with a stake in the future quality of the Corridor.
We hope you will join us in the meetings, workshops and other initiatives we are planning.
Canoeists downtown Ottawa © Ottawa Tourism
For more information, please contact:
Susan Millar, Program/Policy Officer
Parks Canada
34 Beckwith Street South
Smiths Falls, ON K7A 2A8
Tel: 613-283-7199, ext. 242 or 1-888-773-8888
Teletypewriter (TTY): 866-787-6221
Fax: 613-283-0677
Email: RideauCanal-info@pc.gc.ca