Last month the Champlain Park Community Association joined many of us as individuals in sending a letter to MPs advocating for an end to Ottawa River sewage spills.

Ecology Ottawa has mounted a campaign that has so far resulted in more than 1000 such letters including many from area Community Associations.

With the recent federal budget came no allocation of funds for this problem. In fact, John Baird recommended using transit money to fix this sewer problem; effectively advising us to rob Peter to pay Paul. Perhaps in anticipation that the federal government were not planning to fund their share, the provincial budget also allocated no funds.

Both senior governments had shared costs in this project with the City of Ottawa in the past. They had been expected to do for the final phase. Yet at this time our sewer infrastructure can’t cope with heavy downpours and so numerous times every year spills millions of liters of sewage contaminated water straight into the river.

Since the 2012 federal and provincial budgets haven’t allocated funds to solve this urgent problem Ecology Ottawa is redoubling its efforts and doing so at a grassroots level. We’re building a network of concerned individuals in neighbourhoods across Ottawa, including Champlain Park.

If you would like to help here in Champlain Park please contact me, Charles Hodgson. I’m the local Ecology Ottawa Community Network organizer. I can be reached at 613-728-2016 or chas.hodgson@gmail.com