Regional Information and Monitoring Network for the Ottawa River Watershed

Joint initiative between the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Environment and Climate Change Canada in the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi watershed

Regional Information and Monitoring Network for the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi Watershed

The Regional Information and Monitoring Network (RIMNet) for the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi Watershed is an initiative led by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) under a memorandum of understanding. The Regional Information and Monitoring Network RIMNet initiative was developed to address comments from the public and from Indigenous Nations and communities about the availability of publicly accessible environmental monitoring data for the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi watershed.

Objectives

The objectives of the initiative are to improve information sharing, better document the environmental aspects of past, current and proposed nuclear facilities and activities in the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi watershed, and build trust with Indigenous Nations and communities and the public. In addition, the initiative will help the CNSC and ECCC better integrate available data and information about the watershed. RIMNet will also include any available Indigenous knowledge provided with consent.

Information and data for both radionuclides and non-radionuclides (hazardous substances) associated with past and current activities of existing and proposed nuclear facilities will be included in the scope of the initiative. Medical radioisotopes and naturally occurring radioactive material will also be considered, where information is available.

Impact

The RIMNet initiative will impact the CNSC’s and ECCC’s regulatory oversight of nuclear facilities in the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi watershed, aiming to:

• build and strengthen relationships and trust with the Indigenous Nations and communities in the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi watershed region
• enhance knowledge of the environment around nuclear facilities in the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi watershed to support future environmental reviews and regulatory decisions related to proposed nuclear facilities and activities in the region
• improve the dissemination and understanding of the environmental aspects of past, current and proposed nuclear facilities in the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi watershed, which includes incorporating the outcomes/results of the initiative into the Open Data and Science Platform

Phased approach

CNSC and ECCC staff are currently in Phase 1 of the initiative and are working with participants who have received funding through the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada’s Participant Funding Program. The objectives of each phase are described in the table below.

Phase 1: Gather information and data	Phase 2: Develop a regional database	Phase 3: Summarize findings in a state of the environment report
Gather existing information, data and knowledge on past, current and proposed nuclear facilities in the Ottawa River/ Kichi Sibi watershed.	Use the information and data gathered during Phase I to develop a publicly accessible database through the Open Science and Data Platform and the Federal Geospatial Platform.	Conduct a temporal and spatial analysis and use the results to identify trends and summarize findings/conclusions in order to characterize the state of the environment in the Ottawa River/Kichi Sibi watershed.

Phase 1 of the Regional Information and Monitoring Network report is now available. It provides an overview of the initiative, the results of Phase 1, and next steps. The report is open for consultation and feedback until July 21, 2025.

Next steps

During each phase of the initiative, the CNSC and ECCC will update this web page to share the outcomes.