History
Did you know that the GRWA was founded in 1963?Originally the "Gananoque River Waterways Association" served the watershed from Upper Beverly Lake through to Gananoque Lake to the St Lawerence, but as other waterway/cottage associations have emerged, we primarily cover the watershed area from Lyndhurst Lake, south to Gananoque Lake including Fodey Lake, as far south as Marble Rock.
We encourage membership, as stated in our 1965 Constitution, to include "..property owners, resort operators, fishermen [and fisherwomen], farmers, trappers and all other interested parties...." for the purpose of getting together to "Protect wild life, arrange for equitable water levels, facilitate navigation, maintain health standards through the purity of the water [and] confer with officials in regard to definite arrangements for maintaining and improving the waterway for everyone's use."
Our most important mandate is to keep in touch with our neighbors and our neighborhood.
We encourage membership, as stated in our 1965 Constitution, to include "..property owners, resort operators, fishermen [and fisherwomen], farmers, trappers and all other interested parties...." for the purpose of getting together to "Protect wild life, arrange for equitable water levels, facilitate navigation, maintain health standards through the purity of the water [and] confer with officials in regard to definite arrangements for maintaining and improving the waterway for everyone's use."
Our most important mandate is to keep in touch with our neighbors and our neighborhood.
Mission and Constitution of the GRWA
Mission
The mission of the Gananoque River Waterways Association (GRWA) is to stand for the river. The GRWA is committed to:
promoting a strong sense of community along the waterways;
maintaining and, where possible, enhancing the vitality of ecosystems within the area served by the Association;
supporting the economic viability of the community;
promoting sustainable development that strengthens our social, economic and environmental assets.
The Association will strive to represent the interests of the waterways community in the following ways:
recognizing that the river is part of the U.N.1000 Islands-Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve designation and leveraging opportunities arising from this designation;
protecting and balancing the interests of all stakeholders;
providing an opportunity for members of the community to come together and to create ways to achieve our mission;
conducting appropriate research into the issues that affect the quality of life on the river;
informing and advising members of all issues that impact the quality of the river community and seeking their advice to develop strategies to address these issues ;
working with the community to protect the environment;
surveying community members about their needs, interests and any gaps in service, and developing plans for action to address gaps, needs etc.;
securing resources to take appropriate action;
providing administrative and organizational support for community-building;
influencing government policy and acting with government officials on behalf of the community;
educating members about the environment, community safety and security and improving the quality of life on the river;
entering into partnerships and alliances to advance the aims of the community;
working to develop and maintain a strong and vibrant association to meet the diverse needs of the people who live along the river.
The Gananoque River Waterway Association serves the community along the Gananoque River and its watershed from the Lyndhurst Dam to Marble Rock Dam in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands.
