Those raft trips down the upper section of the Kipawa River, which included runs down the chute through the Laniel Dam, are the first record we have of modern (recreational) navigation on the river.

That was followed by exploratory runs in canoes and kayaks in 1970-71 by some paddlers from the Rouyn-Noranda area. Then through most of the 1970s, Quebec paddlers frequently ran river trips on the Kipawa, even using the river as a training site for whitewater certification courses.

In 1987, the first official Kipawa River Rally was held, an event that evolved into an annual celebration of the exciting, natural beauty of the Kipawa watershed.

The Threat

The owner of the Laniel flood control dam has had plans to replace the aging structure for several years. The dam was built in 1910 and came into operation in 1911 and it clearly needs to be replaced. The new structure, with four hydraulic gates, will roughly double the release capacity on the Kipawa watershed and provide important protection from extreme flood events.

The Dam Owner Refuses to Recognize the Value of Navigation

In March of 2005, when Les Amis de la Riviere Kipawa first became aware of the dam owner's intent to rebuild the Laniel dam on a two-year timeline beginning in the fall of 2005, we clearly expressed our support for the project.

We were then informed, in an "oh by the way" sort of a tone, that we would no longer be allowed to navigate the chute through the dam gates, as has been our practice for almost 40 years.

Over a period of almost a year, Les Amis made every effort possible including appeals to federal ministers, to engage the dam owner in meaningful discussions about their infringement on our navigation rights. The dam owner refused to even talk to us, and to this day, refuses to engage in any discussions around infringement and mitigation.

That left us with no choice but to seek resolution in federal court. At issue is the application of the Navigable Waters Protection Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the proper conduct of meaningful public consultation.

Please use the links below to access documents filed with the federal court.

The Ottawa law firm of Jewitt-Morrison has been very supportive because they care...their motto is "We Fight The Good Fight". The lawyer they originally made available for our case, Rob Monti, is a boater who has run the Kipawa, so he knows what we're talking about.

Rob has since moved on to the Ottawa law firm of Nelligan-O'brien-Payne. NOP has also graciously allowed Rob to continue to work on our case.