Algae blooms on canal not a risk to people: Parks Canada

By CBC News Ottawa, June 20, 2020

If you've walked along the Queen Elizabeth Driveway recently, you may have noticed some unusual greenery in full bloom. 

Parks Canada says it's aware a green algae is growing on the city's canals, but says the pond scum isn't dangerous. 

"It's a completely natural thing for algae blooms to develop on waterways," said Dale MacEachern, a spokesperson for the federal agency. "And again, there's no risk to people."

According to Parks Canada, the blooms, identified as green filamentous algae, don't produce toxins like blue-green algae. 

The canal's new look could be the result of a combination of warmer temperatures, high-nutrient deposits in the water and less boat traffic keeping the waterways still, MacEachern said. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/algae-blooms-canal-1.5620801

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