Rideau Lakes

Environment & Information Centre

Partners Information

          The Rideau Lakes Environment and Information Centre officially opened June 29th, 1998.  It serves as an environmental store, volunteer headquarters, meeting centre and Internet access site.  It serves the public property owners and recreational users of the Rideau corridor with one stop shopping for environment and tourist information.  People can buy environmental products from composting toilets to T-shirts and phosphate free soap.  They can pick up fact sheets on all kinds of topics, from how to build a dock and to how to naturalize your shoreline.  They can get visitor services information for the whole region or training on how to use the internet.

         A unique partnership of fifteen environmental and community development groups, and economic development interest has come together to develop this unique information centre in Portland.  Each of the 15 partners involved has found that working under the same roof enables them to meet their own groups objectives while learning more about similar projects being done by others.  This allows the partners to integrate or streamline their programs to complement rather than compete with each other and reduces public confusion .  The experiment has been a huge success so far, we are definitely stronger together.

        The following is a brief profile of each of the partners that make the Rideau Lakes Environment and Information Centre such a success:

Big Rideau Lake Association:  A large and sophisticated organization by local standards, the BRLA runs environmental programs using summer students and volunteers to improve the quality of the water and general environment surrounding the Rideau Lake.  The structure that houses the Rideau Lakes Environment & Information centre is owned by the BRLA and serves as it's headquarters and storefront.  Information is provided to local clients and an array of environmentally friendly products are sold at the store.  The centre also serves as a work centre and base for 11 summer students hired to carry out a variety of environmental activities in the area.

   Alliance of Rideau Lakes Associations:  Each lake association in the Rideau watershed is encouraged to designate a lake steward to attend information meetings and share ideas which result in environmentally friendly programs in lake country.  This group is in the process of formalizing their alliance to form one strong, united voice.  The Rideau Lakes Environment and Information Centre provides them with a central meeting & information sharing location.

http://www.rideau-info.com/associations/rideau-alliance.html

Friends of the Rideau:  This volunteer group works to preserve and maintain all the elements that make the Rideau watershed a unique North American Waterway.  Based in Merrickville, they run an information centre and store similar to the Portland centre.  Involvement in the Rideau Lakes Environment and Information Centre enables delivery of their mandate across the entire watershed and generates funds through the sale of their products.  http://www.rideau-info.com/friends/welcome.html

   LandOwner Resource Centre:   The LRC is a one stop information centre offering services to the public from their headquarters in Manotick.  This seasonal information centre is an extension of their efforts to make environmental information accessible to landowners.  http://www3.sympatico.ca/lrc

Leeds County Stewardship Council:   Through it's volunteers, the council carries out a variety of educational and demonstration projects to promote a healthy environment.  The history of the environmental movement in southern Ontario has seen a wide range of interest groups pursuing their immediate goals in a fragmented atmosphere.  The stewardship council set out deliberately to create partnerships and empower local groups to work better by working together.  The council has been the facilitator for bringing groups together for a common purpose in the Rideau Lakes Environment and Information Centre.  The  Community Stewardship Council of Lanark County is in full support of this initiative which is of service to lakes lying west of the Rideau as well.