My Watermark is the three rivers here in the Ottawa: the Gatineau, the Rideau, and the Ottawa.

I feel most connected to these rivers because they’re apart of my life. I’ve skated them, swam them, paddled on them, and biked alongside them on many, many days. I enjoy the different view they give me every time I’m near them. I’ve been living in Ottawa my whole life and used these waterbodies throughout this time.

The Ottawa Riverkeeper started a swim from one side of the Ottawa River to the other; this year was the swim’s 4th edition. The duration of the swim is about four kilometres and probably takes for most people between an hour and two hours.