This petition calls on the federal government to commission an independent review of how the Ottawa River is managed, focusing on whether dam operators followed flood-prevention rules over the past 14 years and whether federal oversight needs to be strengthened.

Canada maintains exclusive legislative authority over "Navigation and Shipping" under Section 91(10) of the Constitution Act, 1867, enforces the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, and holds infrastructure mandates on the river via Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC);

The Agreement Respecting Ottawa River Basin Regulation (1983) mandates integrated reservoir management to provide flood protection, yet the framework allows designated operators (including Hydro-Québec, MELCCFP, OPG, PSPC) to manage water levels without independent oversight, and a severe escalation of catastrophic flooding over the past decade underscores the need to audit historical operational strategies against modern climate change;

Water Management Plans, such as the one governing the Carillon powerhouse forebay, define critical minimum levels, yet operators routinely fail to maximize pre-freshet drawdowns to these specified physical limits; and

The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board lacks statutory enforcement authority under the 1983 Agreement, leaving the basin without independent compliance oversight.

We, the undersigned,residents of Canada, call upon theGovernment of Canadato mandate an independent, third-party review of the Ottawa River’s management framework to: 1. Audit operator compliance with the Agreement Respecting Ottawa River Basin Regulation (1983) over the past fourteen years to evaluate the operational balance maintained between flood mitigation and power generation; 2. Investigate operator adherence to Water Management Plans regarding mandatory reservoir drawdowns to physical minimum limits prior to the annual freshet; and 3. Publicly report on the necessary regulatory and legislative changes required to establish permanent federal oversight and permanently end operator self-regulation.