When Ottawa and the surrounding regions were struck by one of the worst floods on record in 2019, Patrick Nadeau – who was still relatively new to his executive director role at the Ottawa Riverkeeper – was quickly thrust into the spotlight.
As the head of the organization that advocates for the health and protection of the Ottawa River watershed, Nadeau was tasked with leading the Ottawa Riverkeeper through a time of uncertainty and environmental crisis.
New issues soon emerged when massive amounts of fish were washing up on Ottawa shorelines and discussions were held about constructing a new nuclear waste plant near the Ottawa River – issues with potentially severe implications for the local ecosystem.
OBJ360 (Sponsored)
How CN Cycle for CHEO powers world-class cancer research
“Kids shouldn’t have to die of cancer,” says Tamy Bell when asked why Dr. Shawn Beug’s research at CHEO is so important. Bell, after all, should know: Not only is
Public-private collaboration is Canada’s innovation engine — but it needs fuel
Fidus Systems Inc.’s selection last year as AMD Adaptive Compute Partner of the Year is a reflection of the world-class talent the company has assembled in Ottawa. As the first
Throughout that period, Nadeau relied on his nearly 10 years of prior leadership experience in environmental non-profits to guide the organization through to the other side – which he did with great success.
Since joining the Riverkeeper in 2016, Nadeau has overseen rapid growth at the organization, including more than a 100 per cent increase in budget over four years and a 30 per cent increase in staff.
Nadeau is also responsible for a myriad of new programs and initiatives at the not-for-profit, including a Youth Water Leaders program and an endangered species campaign.
His commitment to the local community extends outside of the office, where he offers career mentorship for undergrad science students and is the chair of the Ottawa bilingual selection committee for the Loran Scholars Foundation.
