Warmer winters are reshaping the Rideau Canal and putting one of its most vulnerable residents at risk.
For the Rideau Canal, climate change not only impacts its tangible infrastructure of locks, dams, and fortifications but also poses risk to its natural values, including an increasingly at-risk turtle species.
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Hear from Dr. Salma Sabour
Beneath the surface of the historic Rideau Canal, Northern Map Turtles rely on a thick, stable layer of ice to survive months of winter hibernation. As climate change destabilizes the ice cover, these turtles become increasingly vulnerable to predators that can reach them more easily.
National Geographic recently published a story highlighting the growing risks to this species and the efforts underway to understand and protect them, including the collaboration between our custodian Cass Stabler of Parks Canada and scientist Dr. Grégory Bulté.
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In addition to the work featured in the article, Stabler and her partner in the Preserving Legacies cohort program, Susan Millar, recently convened a locally led climate risk assessment and adaptation planning workshop. Building on months of stakeholder engagement, archival research, and climate data analysis, the event brought together a diverse cross-section of participants — from lock operators to policymakers — to explore the full range of values the Rideau Canal holds and the climate risks it faces.
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Stretching 202 kilometers (126 miles) from Ottawa to Lake Ontario, the Rideau Canal is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkable system of locks, dams, bridges, and fortifications. But beyond its engineering legacy, the canal is also a living landscape where cultural and natural heritage intersect.
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Through the Preserving Legacies approach, undertaking a locally led, values-based risk assessment and adaptation plan helps ensure that institutional values, like UNESCO's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), are considered alongside locally significant values. In the Rideau Canal's case, that includes nature and biodiversity like this unique turtle species.
For custodians on their adaptation journey, the takeaway is clear: climate impacts often extend beyond what is most visible or officially recognized. By embracing a plural knowledge systems approach to stakeholder engagement, risk assessment, and adaptation planning, custodians can help elevate locally meaningful values at risk—leading to more holistic, resilient solutions.
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