Dear Friends:

Recently, I have had the honour of working with a committee to establish a Pierre Elliott Trudeau National Rivers Day!

On the federal level, there is a committee considering ways to commemorate Pierre Trudeau to honour his life, beliefs, passions and vision for this country. I am writing to you to request your support for the concept of a Pierre Elliott Trudeau National Rivers Day.

Support for a National Rivers Day in honour of Mr. Trudeau is widespread. Letters have come from David Suzuki, Becky Mason, Hap Wilson, Eco Trust, Canadian River Management Society, Kirk Wipper, Living By Water, Iona Campagnolo (Fraser Basin Council), MaxFinkelstein, Canadian Recreation Canoe Association, Herb Auerbach, James Raffan (Arctic Institute), Soil and Water Conservation Society, George Luste (Wilderness Canoe Association), and Sheila Copps ... to name just a few. Your voice, added to theirs, would be of great assistance in showing the breadth and depth of support for such an event.

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau National Rivers Day celebration could include events such as heritage or cultural festivals, environment cleanups, historical re-enactments, public awareness campaigns, municipal council decrees, educational workshops or seminars, canoeing and kayaking events, river art photography or contests and music festivals.

We all live near a watershed. We all would benefit from the preservation and protection of our rivers systems, which are unequaled anywhere on this planet. Rivers flow through our geography, communities, culture, economy, history; indeed they flow through our veins.

In light of Mr. Trudeau's deep love for our wilderness and his vision for our country, a national rivers day would be a lasting legacy as well as a fine, symbolic tribute to his life, hopes and dreams. I urge you to send your letter of support for a Pierre Elliott Trudeau National Rivers Day, to the contacts listed below.

Sincerely,
Dot Bonnenfant

Please send your letters to:
Chair, Trudeau Committee
Mr. Ted Johnson
Vice President, Secretary and General Council
The Power Corporation
751 Square Victoria
Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2J3

Please help us track letters of support, send a copy to:
The Committee to Establish a National Rivers Day in Honour of Mr.Trudeau
c/o Dr. David Goranson
Rivers Canada
849 164th Street
White Rock, British Columbia
V4A 4Y4

The following is a copy of the resolution passed in the Michipictoen Township Council in Wawa regarding the University River and Denison Falls.

Council resolution on Bill Mason

*Whereas; the late Bill Mason has made significant contributions to the art and science of paddling in Canada,

and

*Whereas; the Dog River, Denison Falls and the Lake Superior coastline were among his favourite places to paddle paint and film,

and

*Whereas; Ontario's Living Legacy, Land Use Strategy has initially identified a Park that includes the Dog River, Denison Falls and a section of Lake Superior coastline as P1511.

*Therefore let it therefore be resolved that the Reeve and Council of the Township of Michipicoten request the Ministry of Natural Resources to name the park now identified as P1511 as Bill Mason Park.



Also here's the more background on the issue-from an unidentified source - Deep Gorge?

"Ralph Mills (the Reeve of local government) met with the (MNR names deleted)to discuss geographic names. Ralph reiterated his distaste for "University River" and also said that he was aware that the proposal to rename Dennison Falls has been dropped. There was talk about the name for the new waterway park on the Dog, and Ralph indicated that although he prefers that local sites be named after local people, he will accept "Bill Mason Waterway Park" if that is how things shape up.

Ralph identified three Wawa people who are good candidates for recognition, and will send information on them. It was pointed out that there are still new Parks and other sites to be named, and that we might be able to commemorate these local three by naming other sites after them (eg there are several new Living Legacy Parks in the area and the waterfalls on the Eagle River have not been named). So, hopefully, Ralph's suggestions for local recognition on sites other than the Dog River" can be addressed.



This article first appeared in Che-Mun Outfit 103 in 2001.