Date and Location
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 – 10:00 AM
Manotick United Church
5567 Manotick Main Street, Manotick
Topic
A River is a Report Card
Understanding the Ottawa River’s Ecological Health
Speaker
Laura Reinsborough
Riverkeeper and CEO – Ottawa Riverkeeper
Laura has worked in gardens, galleries, and along river banks to deliver positive environmental and social change. She holds a Magisteriate in Environmental Studies from York University specialized in environmental education and community arts.
At the age of 25, Laura founded Toronto’s Not Far From The Tree, an award-winning charitable initiative to pick fruit growing in backyards and transform it into a shared public good. Later, at the helm of Food For All New Brunswick, she built a robust network to activate and amplify food security. She is a TEDx speaker, a recipient of the Vital People Award, the Women of the Earth Award, and the Gaia Environmental Award, and she was named an Agent of Change by the Centre for Social Innovation.
Laura lives near the Ottawa River in Orléans. Originally from Sackville, New Brunswick, Laura grew up very connected to water: canoeing on the lake in her backyard, swimming on the beaches of the Northumberland Strait, and mudsliding on the Bay of Fundy mudflats. She speaks four languages and loves to cross-country ski. Since 2021, Laura has held the esteemed title of Riverkeeper & CEO with Ottawa Riverkeeper.