Through the Veins of Mother Earth
In the traditional unceded territories of the Algonquin and Anishinaabe people you will find the largest underground freshwater cave system in Canada.
The Story
The Gervais Caves and Three Island Caves are an underground system over 10 km long that runs into, around, and under the Ottawa river. The caves are an important home for freshwater mussels that help clean and filter the water that flows through it.

We meet Jane Anne Chartrand, an Algonquin and Anishinaabe Nokomis/Matriarch who explains the life cycle of water, the blood of mother earth. Jill Heinerth, an acclaimed Canadian cave diver, takes us on an underwater journey exploring these caves. She shows us the freshwater mussels that clean and filter our water and explains the important role they play in the environment and the problems they are facing.
The Location
