Population growth within the MRC-des-Collines-de-l’Outaouais, (a collection of 7 Québec municipalities) coupled with the puzzling refusal of the Ville de Gatineau to continue treating local septic sludge, (they do have collaborative waste and recycling projects in place with the MRC) has made the Gatineau River an unfair target of septic sludge effluent dumping. The effluent to be released into the Gatineau contains untreatable persistent toxins and chemicals that could damage fish habitat and make the water undrinkable. Depending on water flow, it could create conditions for blue algae outbreaks further downstream. There are plenty of better solutions to treating septic sludge that will not put one of the National Capital Regions cleanest rivers at risk. Indeed, the Province of Québec is currently testing alternative technologies that hold promise.

Please join us for a pint at the Carleton Tavern and enjoy an ambient slide presentation of photographs from the #savethegatineau Instagram contest. Celebrate the river with musical guests (TBA) and show local politicians that the entire national capital regions is extremely concerned about any septic sludge treatment plan that puts the health of the Gatineau River (a potential source of drinking water for future generations) at risk.

WHAT: “Save the Gatineau” awareness and fundraising raising event
WHEN: Friday 31 May, drift in any time after 7:30pm – or come early and have some great food!
WHERE: The Carleton Tavern 223 Armstrong Street, Ottawa, ON K1Y4P1 (corner of Armstrong and Parkdale)

Save the Gatineau / Sauvons la Gatineau is a citizen movement focused on preventing further degradation of the water quality of the Gatineau River.

Iain Reid`s writing has appeared in newspapers, magazines, and online in publications such as the Globe and Mail, National Post, Reader’s Digest, and Atlantica Magazine. His work has also appeared on CBC Radio and NPR. His first book, One Bird’s Choice, was awarded the CBC Bookie Award for Nonfiction. He lives in Kingston, Ontario.

Kevin Connolly is a Toronto poet, editor, and arts journalist. Connolly has published four collections of poems. His second collection, Happyland, was published to wide acclaim in 2002; and his third, drift, won the Trillium Book Award for Poetry. His latest book, Revolver, was shortlisted for both the Trillium Award and the esteemed Griffin Poetry Prize.

Pasha Malla is the author of three books: The Withdrawal Method (stories), a collection of short stories, won the Trillium Book Award, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize and longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, All Our Grandfathers are Ghosts (poems) and Why We Fight > Quran Neck, a transliteration of Frank Capra’s War Comes to America. His first novel, People Park, will be published in fall 2012.

Monty Reid has published 14 collections of poetry, most recently A Poem That Ends With Murder (Apt 9 Press), The Luskville Reductions (Brick) and Lost in the Owl Woods (BookThug). His Disappointment Island (Chaudiere) won the Lampman-Scott Award for Poetry in 2007. He has won the Stephansson Award for Poetry, a National Magazine Award, and has been short-listed for the Governor-General’s Award on three occasions. He lives in Ottawa, and plays songs in his band – Call Me Katie.

Gil Adamson received rave reviews for her short stories, collected in Help Me, Jacques Cousteau and her book of poetry Ashland. Her first novel, The Outlander, ten years in the writing, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize, the Trillium Award, the Prix Femina (France), and won the Hammet Prize, the Amazon.ca First Novel Award, the ReLit Award, and was a finalist for Canada Reads. Adamson lives in Toronto, Canada.

Bruce Taylor is a two-time winner of the A.M. Klein Award for Poetry. He has published four acclaimed books of poetry: Getting On with the Era, Cold Rubber Feet, Facts, and No End in Strangeness (New and Selected Poems). He has been a teacher, a puppeteer, and a freelance journalist. He lives in Wakefield, Quebec.

And don’t forget to check out the other amazing events at Wakefest, 2011: http://wakefest.org/