Watermark Project

Atlantic Ocean - Kris Bonang

2026-07-10T15:22:32Z

When I was growing up, Halifax, the harbour was where all the sewage was dumped. I remember crossing the harbour on the transit ferry and seeing used prophylactics and items that had been flushed down the toilet floating in the water. The water became so dirty that it would no longer freeze.

A large investment from the government built sewage treatment plants to clean the water. It took many years, but the water is now clean enough to swim in.

Dog Island, FL - Virginia Rumbley

2026-07-08T12:34:35Z

Our family built a home on Dog Island, a small private island in the Florida panhandle in 1964. 4 generations have now enjoyed swimming and fishing in these waters. My daughter, who was 1st introduced to these warm waters at age 3 months, now swims 7 months a year in Boston in ponds & the ocean, and finds swimming opportunities on every trip she takes.

Caribbean of Honduras - Zara Zuniga

2026-07-07T19:15:35Z

I’ve always feared the ocean, first because, of course, I was scared of drowning or being eaten by a shark, but also because I was always seasick. One day, I was on the island of Utila, in Honduras, where you can dive in the world’s second-largest coral reef ecosystem. While I was in Utila, I got the opportunity to do my Open Water diving course. I was going to face my two biggest fears together: being under a huge mass of water and being seasick at the same time! I decided to take a chance.

For my first dives, everything went well. The dives were from the shore, so no boat was needed. However, once I took the boat to reach the reef, I got seasick. I ignored this feeling, thinking that it was going to go away once I went underwater, but it didn’t. I remember calling the attention of the dive master in the middle of the dive, urgently telling him that I needed to go to the surface. Once at the surface, I couldn’t stop vomiting. I was so sick, and the waves, the boat, my head—everything was spinning!

Normally, that would have traumatized me, and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it again. But my boyfriend at the time (and husband today) encouraged me to try again. He said that it wasn’t my fear that made me sick; it was probably all the drinking we had done the day before. So, I believed him, blamed the alcohol, and tried diving one more time (lol). Surprisingly, everything went well on the next two dives. I saw the coral reef walls, hundreds of fish, and two majestic eagle rays. Immediately, I fell in love with my fear: the ocean. After this, my whole career switched to marine science, and I worked in the same marine park for the next four years, protecting those same reefs that helped me overcome my fears.

Today, I love being in the ocean, and I still feel overwhelmed when I see the infinite blue while I am diving. I am still aware that there might be animals that see me as a threat and may attack in their defense, and I am also aware of all the risks of diving in the open ocean. However, thanks to diving and the privilege of seeing unique marine life, some still unknown to science; thanks to the amazing colours, forms, and textures that the reef offers; thanks to the freedom of opening my arms and feeling as if I am flying; and thanks to the incredible wildlife encounters with sharks, octopuses, dolphins, massive parrotfish, turtles, and more... now I am not scared of the ocean. I respect it, I love it, and I protect it.

Lake Ontario - William Kerr

2026-07-07T17:41:18Z

I live within a 10-minute walk of the Gordon Downie Pier in Kingston. One of my goals this summer is to be more connected to the lake.

I walked down the other night just as night had fallen. The pier had quieted, except for a few young kids hanging out with their friends. I eased myself into the water and listened as the kids joked and laughed, living carefree as kids do during summertime. A Bob Marley song provided that evening's musical backdrop as a girl pedalled her bike with a speaker attached.

God, I love the Pier.

Okanagan Lake - Korey Swinamer

2026-06-30T23:19:47Z

Summer fun in the lake for all the beauty it brings.

St. Lawrence River - Amy Pignatore

2026-06-15T16:23:15Z

I've been swimming in the St. Lawrence River my entire life. My mother also has swim, boated, and fished in the St. Lawrence River her entire life. We need to maintain clean water for my children and their children to enjoy the river the same as my ancestors have

Grand River, ON - Dylan Leween

2026-06-02T14:22:01Z

During my first summer as an undergraduate student at the University of Guelph, I had the unique opportunity to be a part of an experience called the Two Row on the Grand. Beginning just North of Dundalk, we canoed 150km to the opening of Lake Erie (Port Maitland), spanning over the course of ten days, camping in the municipalities along the Grand River each night. This opportunity sparked my love and connection to the water. It was during this excursion that I developed a deeper understanding of the vital role that water plays in all of our lives, and the relationship it builds between us as people and non-human beings.

The Two Row on the Grand is a canoe paddle that embodies the Two Row Wampum, which is a Peace Treaty between Indigenous and settler communities. This experience, for me, built long lasting connections rooted in the water we paddled on, and helped me develop a mutual respect for individual values and culture through our time spent sharing the same river. The Grand River became my watermark as it taught me how to step outside of myself and become a part of a bigger cause. As I watched at least 75 people, including myself, paddle along the river in unison, helping each other and connecting through the water we occupied, I realized the water was as much a part of our community as the paddlers that occupied it, and the Grand River got to know us as much as we got to know it.

Lake Huron - Shayna Stock

2026-05-27T04:12:25Z

I grew up here! As a child spent almost every summer day collecting rocks, building sandcastles, and swimming.

Trent River, Frankford - Christi Baker

2026-04-19T14:56:17Z

I grew up right on Trent River. Summers were filled with boating and swimming all day long. The river is home to bullfrogs, otters, swans and herons that my family got to watch thrive. In winters, we skated and built snow forts on the frozen ice.

Fisk Pond - Preston Burt

2026-04-12T16:20:33Z

I used to swim and fish in this pond when I was young before it became contaminated with blue-green algae and cyanobacteria. I always remembered picking blueberries by the shore and seeing frogs, turtles, herons, and egrets. The eutrophication of this lake resulted in it being closed for fishing and swimming, and was one of the main reasons I decided to study land conservation.