Gatineau joins global push to make urban rivers swimmable

Tashi Farmilo

Gatineau will co-host the Swimmable Cities Summit 2027 on August 27 next year, bringing hundreds of international water and urban planning leaders to the banks of the Ottawa River to accelerate global investment in clean, swimmable urban waterways. The city was named alongside Ottawa and the National Capital Commission at the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan on May 19, as part of a fast-growing movement that argues restoring rivers to public life is one of the most powerful tools a city has against climate change, urban heat and public health decline.

For Gatineau, a city whose identity is inseparable from the river at its edge, the hosting role carries particular weight. "The Ottawa River lies at the heart of our identity, our communities and our quality of life," said Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette. "This summit is an opportunity to deepen our collaboration, advance the protection of our waterways, and shape more resilient, vibrant and accessible waterfront spaces for future generations."

The case for doing so goes well beyond recreation. Swimmable rivers cool cities during heat waves, absorb storm surges and reduce pressure on public health systems. UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach, who announced the 2027 host city in Baku, put it directly: “When a river is swimmable, it tells you the sewage works, the pollution is controlled and the ecology is being restored,” she said. "Swimmable waterways are neighbourhood infrastructure. They cool our cities, restore nature, carry culture, and give every person, regardless of income, a place to belong."

Gatineau has been working toward that standard for years. The city has been pursuing Blue Flag certification, an internationally recognized environmental standard for beaches, and the National Capital Commission has been investing in waterfront access on both sides of the river, including a new universally accessible dock at Dow's Lake and a park near the Kruger's Gatineau Complex expected to open later this year.

Swim Drink Fish Canada, the organization founded by waterway advocate and lawyer Mark Mattson, will serve as the Canadian partner for the summit. Registration opens on World Rivers Day, September 27, 2026.

Former federal environment minister Catherine McKenna, now a Swimmable Cities Ambassador, said the summit will bring political leaders, investors and experts from around the world to a region that already knows what is at stake. "Everyone knows I love swimming," she said, "but swimmable cities are about more than recreation. They are about equitable access to blue public spaces, improving people's quality of life, and creating thriving waterfronts."