On September 20, 2023, we had the honour of presenting the 2023 Canadian River Stewardship Award to two amazing individuals: Molly Demma and Peter Labor. This award honours the work of Canadians to highlight the significance of rivers and honour their role in our past, present, and future. In this article, we celebrate the accomplishments of Molly Demma and her impact on the Canadian Heritage Rivers System. You can find a similar article on Peter Labor here.
Molly has provided steadfast support for Canadian Heritage Rivers for the past 19 years. As a devoted advocate for rivers, Molly’s engagement with heritage rivers has taken many incredible turns. She was the Executive Director of the St. John River Society—a non-profit organization committed to appreciating and stewarding the beautiful Wolastoq/fleuve Saint-Jean/St. John River in New Brunswick. As the Executive Director, Molly worked on all fronts: reconciliation, public access to the Wolastoq, and environmental protection.
Molly worked closely in with the Wolastoqey Nation to develop an Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA) Framework on the Wolastoq River. For the first time, an ELOHA framework integrated Indigenous perspectives. It was a crucial step in advancing Indigenous reconciliation on a cherished Canadian Heritage River.
Two of her recent projects protected public access to the river. She collaborated with the Trans-Canada Trail to integrate the Lower Wolastoq St. John River Passage as part of this national trail system. Her work led to safe access points to the river, clear signage over 101 km of trails, and increased awareness of the Wolastoq. She also led critical maintenance on 13 heritage steamboat wharves. Her work protected the wharves from flooding while allowing them to remain important community gathering points along the river.
Finally, she developed crucial tools to increase public awareness on flooding and cyanobacteria. She created a resource library for federal, provincial, municipal, and watershed organizations to use on social media when communicating about these topics. The library included images, messages, and a video on the risks associated with cyanobacteria along the Wolastoq.
Molly instilled inspiration, encouragement, and a sense of purpose in everyone she spoke with. Her role in the Canadian Heritage Rivers System has sculpted the system into what it is today. We regret to share that Molly has passed away on October 11, 2023. She will be greatly missed by the heritage rivers community.