The following are digital documents relating to the various issues surrounding the Rideau Canal. They are linked from various spots on this website, this page is simply provides a spot where they can be viewed/downloaded in one location.

Overall Heritage Issues

 The De-Evolution of Parks Canada - A report detailing how Parks Canada has abandoned its heritage mandate for the Rideau Canal (a National Historic Site of Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site). I last updated it in 2021, when I get the time I'll bring it up to date, there has been more de-evolution since 2021 and I also have more information on the transition from Transport Canada to Parks Canada in the period 1967-1972.


Rideau Canal Management

 Rideau Canal Management Plan (2022) This is the current Rideau Canal management plan. It's not actually a management plan in structure and is extremely poorly done. See the management plan page for details.

 Watson - Response to the draft Rideau Canal Management Plan This is my response to Parks Canada's 2020 draft of a new management plan for the Rideau Canal. Note that 95% of the issues I raised are still valid - not addressed in the final 2022 plan (above)

 Rideau Canal Management Plan (2005) This is the previous, far better done, Rideau Canal management plan. This was the plan they completely abandoned in 2012.




Built Heritage

 Auditor General's Report on Built Heritage - This 2003 report is what started it all, forcing Parks Canada to do a full asset review which revealed the scope of the problem. The link is to Chapter 6: Protection of Cultural Heritage in the Federal Government.

 2012 National Asset Review - Rideau Canal - A listing of the heritage assets on the Rideau Canal, their estimated 2012 value and the amount of "deferred work" (required repair work) for those assets - which was $104 million (2012$).

 Parks Canada Agency, Report on Plans and Priorities, 2016-17 - This documents contains a commitment by Parks Canada to improve all their heritage assets that are in poor or very poor condition, to fair or good condition, by March 2020. See pages 52 to 54 of this report.


World Heritage

 2005 Rideau Canal World Heritage Site Management Plan - the management plan submitted to UNESCO as part of the nomination process.

 2006 ICOMOS Report on the Rideau Canal - ICOMOS is the technical evaluation branch of UNESCO - this is their evaluation of the Rideau Canal's nomination as a World Heritage Site.

 1972 World Heritage Convention - this is the agreement that Canada signed in 1976.

 2013 Periodic Report to UNESCO - this is the first periodic report (done on a 6 year cycle) to UNESCO on the state of the Rideau Canal World Heritage Site.

 2019 Letter from UNESCO regarding inappropriate development A letter from UNESCO regarding problems with Parks Canada's management in protecting the World Heritage Site.


Rideau Canal Report Card

 Rideau Canal Report Card. This is a PDF of the report card that you'll find on the home page of this website.


Other

 Corridors of Change Report (1995) - this was a report done by Parks Canada in the wake of the cuts of the early 1990s. While I don't agree with all the recommendations they did have some good ideas. Unfortunately a similar report was never done in the wake of the 2012 cuts.

 Parks Canada Agency Act - this is the legislation that governs Parks Canada. It makes an interesting read, clearly showing what Parks Canada is supposed to be doing, making clear the reality that they are no longer following this Act.

 Parks Canada Charter - this Parks Canada's charter in which they state their mandate, their role and their commitments. As with their Act, they've abandoned their Charter on the Rideau Canal.

 Historic Canal Regulations - these are regulations that specifically deal with the historic canals that are administered by Parks Canada.

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