The Little River That Could...
The Seine and the organization that makes it unique
CAROLYN WALKER STAFF
Like a snake, the Seine River Greenway weaves its way through the City of Winnipeg relatively unnoticed. Sheltered beneath the deep greens, this historic and scenic waterway is breath-taking throughout the summer months. The view is worth the drive, or rather the walk just down the street.
I first got wind of this environmental treasure through an artificial source — the Internet. I learned that the second Sunday of June is Canadian Rivers Day, and to celebrate the, Winnipeggers pulled out their canoes and paddles and congregated on the Seine River. Who would have thought, canoeing in the city? The event held my interest.
Largely due to their size, strength, and connecting point at the Forks, it is the Assiniboine and Red Rivers that often come to mind when one thinks of River City. However, the Seine was the choice location for a large event put on to celebrate the rivers of Canada
Schykulski described this experience as, “a delightful paddle down a river that [he] had never really explored before and [he] thinks it’s one that [he will] go out and try paddling again.”
The urban environmentalist’s dream
The Seine River’s slow meanders often carry paddlers around parks and under bridges in the City. Beginning at the southeastern corner of Manitoba, the Seine flows for 27 kilometres in Winnipeg and meets up with the Red River in central St. Boniface. You have likely seen the river when passing over a bridge on your way to work, but have you ever really seen this river? For some city residents, the Canadian Rivers Day event provided this opportunity.
Canadian Rivers Day, the second Sunday of June, was a proclamation signed in 2002 by former heritage minister Sheila Copps. According to the Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS) website, advocates for Canadian Rivers Day believed that this day would “bring . . . communities closer together on tangible projects for conservation, interpretation and enjoyment.”
To celebrate the day, Winnipeggers congregated on Saturday June 10, 2006, the day before the official Canadian Rivers Day. The event started with a paddle down the Seine and finished with a barbeque at one of the 20 plus parks that run alongside the river’s edge. More than 120 canoeists (with approximately 60 canoes) showed up at the event’s starting point to support the day’s activities and to enjoy the natural waterway.
First-time Seine River paddler and employee of Manitoba Conservation, Ken Schykulski, attended the festivities. Schykulski described his experience as, “a delightful paddle down a river that [he] had never really explored before, and . . . one that [he will] go out and try again.”
The success of the day’s events resonated in the comments of David Danyluk, Coordinator of Save Our Seine (S.O.S.), which is an organization dedicated to continuously improving the water quality of the Seine River system. Danyluk commented that “the event was more successful than [he] thought it would be,” and he is glad to see the results of S.O.S.’s dedication to cleaning the Seine. Danyluk continued by saying, “The river is waiting to be discovered by all community residents.” He wants to build community awareness of the waterway and to improve accessibility for those who are “old or young, [able to walk] or in a wheelchair.”
The Seine “is very sheltered, scenic [and] safe because it’s shallow.” For Danyluk, the biggest danger visitors may encounter is “losing [a] shoe in the mud [or getting] . . . a sunburn on [their] nose.”
Local Biologist Chris Penner draws parallels between the Seine and other rivers located in the Winnipeg area. Penner observed that the Seine “has a nice forest and is a typical agricultural-type river [that] . . . is subject to a lot of inputs [such as nutrients and pollutants] that are typically found in the Assiniboine and the Red.”
The community was determined to clean things up and to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining this fragile ecosystem for future generations.
The organization that makes the Seine unique
The Seine has gone through a massive clean up process over the past 15 years. In September 1990, after years of industrial dumping and urban development, the Seine was polluted. Large pieces of natural and unnatural debris floated throughout the river water contaminating the plants and wildlife in the area, visually disturbing the residents whose homes backed onto it. Community residents were so “disgusted with the neglect of the river,” said Danyluk that residents held a meeting to find a solution.
As described on the S.O.S. website, this meeting marked the beginning of S.O.S. Save Our Seine River Environment Inc. became a non-profit organization and has ever since been maintained by volunteers who hope to preserve the environment in and around the Seine.
Maintenance of the Seine River Greenway requires a multifaceted approach. Maintenance means reducing or eliminating threats to the waterway and working to maintain the river’s natural integrity. S.O.S. is attempting to maintain the Seine’s plants and wildlife, while still allowing visitors to enjoy the water and the adjacent wood chip trails.
S.O.S. annually plants “trees and shrubs along the [river] banks . . . [to] lessens riverbank instability and decreases erosion.” In an effort to clean the waterway, S.O.S. is also involved in a student program called the Green Team. The Green team performs activities such as “paddling, cleaning the river, planting trees, [and] looking after parks.”
Designing and maintaining the trails for public use has been challenging. Creating a design that allows visitors to enjoy the river with the least amount of disruption to the environment is important to S.O.S. People naturally create a disturbance in the environment, so, S.O.S. hopes to find ways to minimize the disturbance so that the wildlife and vegetation belonging to the area can live comfortably with the human presence.
S.O.S. hosts programs and events year round to try and encourage residents to walk or paddle through this pristine environment that stretches across Winnipeg. “We’re trying to encourage people to visit the Seine River Greenway,” Danyluk said because if the community does not use it, it might deteriorate.
Funding challenges
Funding is a large concern for the S.O.S. organization. Funding is often provided in a limited capacity depending on the activities that the organization hopes to undertake. Danyluk commented that “when one of [S.O.S.’s] projects corresponds with a funding, granting or governmental agency . . . than there is funding out there.”
You have likely seen the river when passing over a bridge on your way to work, but have you ever really seen this river?
According to the 2005 Manitoba Budget Address covering Water Protection, Natural Areas and Climate Change on the Manitoba Finance website, “since 1999, [the Manitoba government] has invested in water projects totaling over $80 million, with clean water projects in 81 different communities . . . ”
The process of attaining funding is competitive and the funding that is received often only covers part of a project’s expenses. For example, if an organization “wants to have the media out to plant trees with a bunch of smiley little kids,” says Danyluk, an organization will get funding; however, it is more difficult to receive funding for other expenses such as newsletters, postage and even porta-potties
In other casses, an organization can receive funding to buy rocks to build a trail, but cannot receive funding to hire an engineer to ensure the trail is properly designed. Danyluk mentioned that resources available are definitely limited to some extent. “Funding is a real challenge for all groups, but S.O.S.’s ability to manage [funding] and keep afloat is definitely a testament to its [member’s] skills.”
Resources are often difficult to come by; however, operational costs for S.O.S. are kept low by the contributions made by the S.O.S. board members.
Glimpse into the future
“One of our priorities in the coming years is to introduce [the river] as a destination for paddling, whether you’re kayaking or canoeing. Why not go on the Seine and . . . lose yourself in the city” Danyluk suggested. Due to the twists and turns of the river, kayakers and canoeists can view the natural wildlife with little disturbance. The curves allow paddlers to travel with privacy. Paddlers can be as little as 200 metres apart and because of the river’s windy path, travel virtually unnoticed.
The long-term goal of S.O.S. is to make the Seine River Greenway a sustainable, natural greenway within the city. S.O.S. hopes that the greenway will support recreation, education, nature, culture and history for years to come.
Even though this year’s Canadian Rivers Day festivities has passed, the river is still yours to enjoy. By canoeing, trail walking, and visiting the parks along the Seine, community members can support the Seine River and the S.O.S.’s efforts to save the Seine.
