(Gananoque, ON – written June 11, 2023) Under bright sunny skies freshly washed clear of smoke by gentle rains, a team of 10 local dancers gathered in Confederation/Sculpture Park in Gananoque to perform Global Water Dances. This year’s local focus was on algae in the local waters.

“We proclaim on June 10, 2023, Gananoque’s Global Water Dance here in Gananoque Sculpture Park,” said Town Crier Brian Mabee. “Many countries around the world are participating at this very time. This biennial multinational, community-oriented event is to bring awareness to water issues around the world by celebrating water through movement.”

The event opened with the dancers entering the area to the sounds of the First People’s Water Song.

Donaldson welcomed the crowd with a reminder of how beautiful and necessary water is and we are prone to take it for granted, never realizing the consequences of our actions. She then read out a poem by Gananoque’s Poet Laureate Gretchen Huntley who was unable to attend the day’s program.

“All is well with the world, The water is pure and clean, The waves gently touch the shore, The fish are calm and serene,” the poem starts. “But slowly dirt slips from the banks, It slides and glides on its way To pollute the beautiful clean water It kills it a little each day…”

Three dances were performed – two with choreography provided by Global Water Dances (the Dehydration Dance and the final dance) and one specifically designed for Gananoque by Donaldson.

“Our song is called Making Progress by Dan Phillipson,” she said. “I have choreographed it on the theme of algae growth in the Gananoque River.”

Speakers for the occasion included local Metis woman Clarice Gervasis, musician Doug Gifford, and Councillor Anne-Marie Koiner.

“My First Nations ancestors were the Saultreaux,” said Gervais. “As an indigenous people we consider ourselves stewards of the land and water. Metis governments and working groups are working hard to restore and preserve waterways for the good of all peoples of this land.”

Gifford performed a second reading of Huntley’s poem.

“We can discourage algae growth by reducing the use of fertilizers and maintaining sustainable water flows to the St. Lawrence Seaway,” said Koiner. “Climate change, the weather, heat and rain cycles, are affecting the St. Lawrence and Gananoque Rivers, its waters, the fish, the birds, wildlife and humans.”

While the dancers were dressed in white, they displayed different colours throughout representing the sands, silt, algae and other elements entering and affecting the water systems.

“The Sculpture Park is part of this wonderful basin where the Gananoque River flows, or sometimes is very still, where duckweed or green slime grows that highlights the algae blooms that are the issue not only here but in many areas of the world in the summer heat,” said Mabee. “The dance takes place in front of the water to show our gratitude to this resource that we in Canada may take for granted. Since we have some of the largest reserves in the world, we as Canadians and global citizens take pride in having and preserving them.”

The final dance of the event included audience participation and allowed everyone to show their appreciation of water and better understanding of how to protect and preserve it.

“The cycle of water – and life – is changing globally,” said Koiner. “We need to be conscientious of our environment and natural resources.”