A Self-drving tour of Clair-Maltby's Threatened Cultural Heritage

Clair-Maltby will be Guelph's largest urban expansion to date - changing a rural countryside to an urban area in the next twenty years. This area of almost 1000 acres is expected to accommodate upwards of 25,000 residents.

Through a self-driving tour developed by our local branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO), discover which built heritage resources (homes and barns) and cultural heritage landscapes are at risk as the City expands into this area.

Upon RSVP'ing you will receive a confirmation email which will contain the link to download the Driving Tour Booklet.

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Fourth annual Walk in prayer for the health of our waters

Seven Generations Forward has determined that this year, the Sacred Water Walk will not happen in person because of Covid concerns.

You are invited instead to take some time today - Sunday May 2, 2021 - with some water that nourishes you, in reflection and gratitude. Where possible, you are invited to go to the water body closest to you, a river, lake, stream, marsh, pond and spend sometime there. This water body is connected to the source that allows for your personal access to clean water. What is your relationship like with this water body or with your source of drinking water? How might you share your gratitude?

For those that don't have a nearby water body, or a way to get there, please pour a glass of water from your tap and reflect on its source, and what your relationship is with that source. How might you share your gratitude?

Many of us will be engaging in this reflection and gratitude practice on this day. Imagine if we took a moment every day.......

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Many of us have been inspired by grandmother Josephine Mandamin and her dedication to water protection through walking for the water. In honour of all that has been inspired in us through her walks, we feel called to walk for the health of the Speed and Eramosa rivers that we enjoy so freely.

Join this fourth annual Sacred Water Walk which is held in ceremony and in prayer for the health of our waters. Because we are in a specific Anishinaabe Ceremony, women wear long skirts and men long pants to show our respect for our Grandmothers, for Mother Earth and for ourselves. Women on their Moon-time do not carry the water during this time, as they are already in Ceremony. Parking available along Water St. Dress for the weather.

A Water Walk is Not

*a protest, activist action, or a social event.
*about the individual or what you can gain sitting idle
*a place to look for your next partner
*for boasting, social chatting, carelessly talking nor gossiping
*for thrill seekers, nor is it a contest or competition, exercise, a work-out, or a game of “I can handle it” or go the distance
*for those that just show up at the end the walk to be seen and to say they were there
*a performance piece *for those who have romanticized ideas about Indigenous people
*for those who feel the need to force other cultural values onto protocols already in place

Note: If anyone is disruptive/disrespectful, or abusive they will be asked to leave. A Water Walk IS first and foremost about Water. It is a ANISHINAABE CEREMONY from the time the pail is lifted to the time of set down the Walkers are in Ceremony.

Hosted by:

Seven Generations Forward

Launch of the Take 2 Watershed Cleanup

Join us for the launch event for the Take 2 Watershed Cleanup Project, which engages members of the public, including schools, community groups and other organizations, in the Speed River and Eramosa River watersheds to clean up their watersheds using independent trail and shoreline cleanups. In light of COVID-19, people have been increasingly accessing natural spaces within their watersheds, which has increased the amount of garbage and litter present in these areas and is negatively impacting the environment. The Project will address both the symptoms and sources of pollution along the Eramosa and Speed Rivers in Guelph-Eramosa Township, the City of Guelph, and the City of Cambridge.

This online event will have closed captions.

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Learn about medicinal properties of plants that grow near the river

Join us for an informative herb walk where we’ll talk about medicinal uses of some of the plants that grow near the river. You’ll learn how to identify local medicinal plants, which part(s) to use, ideal harvesting time, and how to use them, with herbalist Zhyfhs Millicent who is a fourth-year student of Dominion Herbal College.

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Come walk with us along our waterways

Join the Yorklands Green Hub's weekly walk to see the beauty of the former Guelph Correctional Centre site and how our waterways connect. This event will repeat each Thursday at 3pm throughout the festival. 

Note: No washrooms on site. The York Road bus can be taken from city centre and parking is available along York Road.

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Write a song about the waters that nourish you

I’m excited about bringing my “Rhyme Capsules” songwriting workshop to the 2Rivers Festival.

I’ve been writing songs since I was a kid, and as a so-called ‘mature’ writer now, I’ve found that the most effective way to share what I’ve learned is to just do it! Over the course of two hours, we’ll learn a few basics, then launch right in to creating a song from scratch. The participants will collaboratively create the lyrics and music. The online version of this doesn’t allow us to sing the song all together, but you’d be surprised at how it really feels like we’re all in it together.

We’ll collect your emails and I’ll send out a demo version of the song with me singing and playing, and participants can develop it further and use it for their own purposes.

I find that participants write amazing songs about their communities, their environment, and about important current issues. They learn what an effective means of communication songs can be. The sessions have often inspired young people to continue with creative writing on their own, with rewarding results.

This workshop can also be considered a lead-up event to creating a submission for our festival Songwriting competition.

Also included will be a 10 minute tutorial on how to make a great, low-tech music video for your submission.

Hosted by:

James Gordon

Can we make a DIY water filtration system with simple materials?

Water is a valuable resource that we can't take for granted! But what happens if water gets polluted? In this workshop, participants will use simple materials to design a water filtration system. Test your engineering skills and see if you can design a water filtration system that can clean dirty water!

This online event will have closed captions.

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Help us welcome our flighted friends back to Guelph

Take a walk around the Yorklands site as we talk about local birds and migration patterns. Bring binoculars as we keep our eyes peeled for our feathered friends.

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Make nutritious pesto from an invasive species

Garlic mustard is an invasive herb native to Europe. It spreads quickly, interfering with the growth of other plants including several species at risk. While it is not a good food source for wildlife, it is high in vitamins A and C, and it makes great pesto. Join us to learn about the plant, how to safely pull it and what to plant in its place, and how to turn it into delicious pesto.

ALL WELCOME. This is a family-friendly event. COVID-19 public health guidelines will be in effect. Please don’t drive if you don’t have to; parking may be limited. 

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Come walk with us along our waterways

Join the Yorklands Green Hub's weekly walk to see the beauty of the former Guelph Correctional Centre site and how our waterways connect. This event will repeat each Thursday at 3pm throughout the festival. 

Note: No washrooms on site. The York Road bus can be taken from city centre and parking is available along York Road.

Hosted by: