I hope the Back to the River project can help build awareness about non-point source pollution. Non-point source pollution, like storm water and sewer overflows and agriculture run-off, are much harder to measure than point pollution out of a factory pipe. All levels of government must act together and require farmers and municipalities to reduce non-point, nutrient pollution, like phosphorus, or pay for remediation.
Read MoreWhen we reached the Queen Street Bridge and the Forks, from whence we’d come just an hour earlier, I thought again about the Back to the River project — and how much it would beautifully complement what we’d seen and experienced that afternoon. It would add a visual exclamation point to the redevelopment of the Forks, already haltingly underway.
Read MoreAs the One River environmental assessment so eloquently states, the Thames River is both our inheritance and our living legacy. I grew up only a stone's throw away from the forks and long assumed that the river and the Blackfriars Bridge must be beloved local gems. And this astonishingly innocent and astigmatic thinking still somewhat lingers within me to this day.
Read MoreIn 1793 on the banks of the Thames River, London was established. For generations, this Canadian heritage waterway supported commercial, cultural and ecological functions that enriched the city. In time, the industrial revolution brought railroads and cars, and the city turned its back on the Thames River.
With this in mind, the London Community Foundation recognized that the natural beauty and underutilized economic value of the riverfront remained a significant missed opportunity. After discussion with politicians and city planners, the LCF embarked on the Back to the River plan.
Read MoreIs the Thames a great river? A grand river (pun intended)? For me, the river is an amazing natural treasure. I have walked its shores in quiet contemplation. I have biked alongside it both for commuting to work and for pleasure. I recall attending family reunions in Springbank Park as a child, playing with my cousins down by the river’s banks. I am grateful for these memories. I hope many Londoners have experienced the same opportunities to make memories. I also wish for future generations to be able to experience that we have been offered.
Fortunately, there’s a plan in place to make that wish a reality. A plan to get more of us Back to the River.
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