FLOW Cross-country

Event Details

SESSION SUMMARY:
Norther Voices, Southern Choices
The Mackenzie: Canada's Cold Amazon

Scientific research indicates that the hydrology of Canada is changing. Nowhere is that happening faster than in the globally significant Mackenzie River Basin. In order to ensure that water quality and availability issues and climate change do not adversely affect Canada's social and economic future, wholesale water policy reform is necessary. While many have held that such deep reform is not possible in many regions of this country for reasons of legal, political and economic precedent, recent developments suggest otherwise. As has been demonstrated in the Northwest Territories, significant water policy reform is not only necessary but inevitable. What is required to achieve such reform is political leadership. This lively presentation aims to demonstrate what Canadians can learn from the public policy breakthroughs relating to the management of water that were recently made in the Northwest Territories and in progressive national and international situations around the world.

Due to unforseen circumstances, we had to postpone this event - originally scheduled in Ottawa, on October 30, 2012. We have rescheduled the event for November 28th.  

Event Details

Questions?

 

 

FLOW CROSS-COUNTRY TOUR (FALL 2011):
Northern Voices, Southern Choices:
Water Policy Lessons for Canada

Between October and November last year, FLOW hosted a national discussion series to broadly share what it has learned about innovative water policy in places such as the Government of Northwest Territories. Through the tour, we worked to inspire jurisdictions across the country to consider what they can do to better protect water supplies. 

FLOW partners, the University of Victoria's POLIS Project on Ecological Governance and the Adaptation to Climate Change Team at Simon Fraser University published a wrap-up report summarizing highlights from the tour through a synthesis of themes, perspectives, and information presented by panelists and audience members alike.

Visit the POLIS website to download a copy of the report. 

 

Thank you to our national partners:

• Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation
• Rocky Mountain Books
• Water Canada Magazine
• The Walrus
• ACT (Adaptation to Climate Change Team), Simon Fraser University
• University of Victoria's POLIS Project on Ecological Governance 

 

2011 Tour Cities and Dates

Robert W. Sandford, EPCOR Chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative in support of United Nations “Water for Life” Decade, spoke in the following cities. Below, you will find a list of presenters and local partners involved in each of the discussions as well as links to articles and blogs covering the event.

• Regina, Saskatchewan, October 6, 2011
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, October 7, 2011
• Halifax, Nova Scotia,  October 13, 2011
• Sydney, Nova Scotia, October 14, 2011
• Winnipeg, Manitoba, October 17, 2011
• Toronto, Ontario - October 24, 2011
• Waterloo, Ontario - October 25, 2011
• Montreal, Quebec - October 26, 2011 
• Quebec City, Quebec - October 28, 2011 
• Nelson, British Columbia - November 4, 2011
• Slocan Valley, British Columbia - November 5, 2011
• Vancouver, British Columbia - November 8, 2011
• Victoria, British Columbia - November 9, 2011
• Edmonton, Alberta - November 21, 2011
• Calgary, Alberta - Nobember 22, 2011
• Ottawa, Ontario - November 28, 2012

In the new year, we will take what we heard across Canada to Ottawa for the final stop on the tour. Details will be posted shortly.

Questions about the tour can be directed to Nancy Goucher.

Panel Session details

Regina

Date: Thursday, October 6 at 7pm

Coverage of the event:

• blog on ACT website - here
• Leader Post article - here

Thank you to our local partners:

• University of Regina
• Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative

 

Saskatoon

Date: Friday, October 7, 1:45pm

Coverage of the event:

• blog on ACT website - here
• Star Pheonix article - here
• CBC news coverage (begin watching at 9:08) - here

Panelists:

• Patricia Gober, Professor, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Policy
• John Pomeroy, Canada Research Chair and director, Centre for Hydrology

Moderator:

• Howard Wheater, Canada Excellence Research Chair and directorGlobal Institute for, Water Security

Thank you to our local partners:

• University of Saskatchewan School of Environment and Sustainability
• University of Saskatchewan Global Institute for Water Security
• Centre for Hydrology
• Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy

 

Halifax

Date: Thursday, October 13, 12:00 – 1:00pm

Coverage of the event:

• blog on ACT website - here

Thank you to our local partners:

• Dalhousie University

 

Sydney

Date: Friday, October 14, 9:00 – 10:15am

Coverage of the event:

• blog on ACT website - here

Thank you to our local partners:

• Pitu'paq Partnership
• Nova Scotia Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism
• ICE - Indigenous Collaborative on the Environment
• Nova Scotia Climate Change Directorate

 

Winnipeg, MB

Date: Monday, October 17, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Coverage of the event:

• blog on ACT website - here

Panelists:

• Merrell-Ann Phare, Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources
• Norm Brandson, Forum for Leadership on Water
• Vicki Burns, Lake Winnipeg Project

Moderated by: Helen Fallding, Centre for Human Rights Research Initiative

Thank you to our local partners:

• Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources
• Centre for Human Rights Research Initiative
• Watershed Systems Research Program, University of Manitoba

 

Toronto

Date: Monday, October 24, 6:30 – 9:00pm

Coverage of the event:

• blog on ACT website - here

Panelists:

• Tony Maas, Freshwater Director, WWF Canada
• Brenda Lucas, Senior Advisor, Blue Economy Initiative
• Rob de Loe, University Research Chair in Water Policy and Governance, University of Waterloo

Moderated by: Lynn Patterson, RBC Blue Water Project

Thank you to our local partner:

• WWF-Canada

 

Waterloo

Date: Tuesday, October 25

Time: 6:00 - 8:30pm

Coverage of the event:

• article in The Cord - here
• blog on ACT website - here

Panelists:

• Chris Burns, NSERC Northern Research Chair, Carleton University
• David Livingstone, Environmental Consultant, Government of Northwest Territories
• Stephen Kakfwi, Former Premier, Northwest Territories

Moderator:

• Richard Patrone, Director of the Cold Regions Research Centre, Wilfried Laurier University

Welcoming Remarks:

• Deb MacLatchy, Vice-President: Academic and Provost, Wilfrid Laurier University

Thank you to our local partners:

• Cold Regions Research Centre, WLU
• Institute for Water Science
• Department of Geography, WLU

 

Montreal

Date: Wednesday, October 26, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Coverage of the event:

• blog on ACT website - here

Panelist:

• Murray Clamen, former Secretary to the International Joint Commission

Moderated by: Nancy Goucher, Forum for Leadership on Water

Thank you to our local partner

• McGill University Brace Institute for Water Resources Management

 

Quebec City

Date: Friday, October 28, 12h – 13:30h

Coverage of the event:

• blog on ACT website - here

Panelist:

• Marc Hudon, Senior Advisor to the St. Lawrence River-Great Lakes program at Nature Quebec

Moderated by: Christian Simard, Director of Nature Quebec

Thank you to our local partner:

• Nature Quebec

 

Nelson

Date: Friday, November 4 at 7:00pm

Thank you to our partner:

• Touchstones Nelson Museum

 

Slocan Valley

Date: Saturday, November 5 at 7pm

Thank you to our partner:

• Perry Ridge Water Users Association

 

Vancouver

Date: Tuesday, November 8

Coverage of the event:

• ACT blog (summary of presentations) - here
• ACT blog (summary of public comments)  - here

Panelists:

• Oliver Brandes, POLIS Water Sustainability Project Lead
• Jon O'Riordan, Senior Advisor, Adaptation to Climate Change Team, Simon Fraser University 

Moderated by: Deborah Harford, Executive Director, ACT (Adaptation to Climate Change Team), Simon Fraser University

Thank you to our local partners:

• ACT (Adaptation to Climate Change Team), Simon Fraser University
• University of Victoria's POLIS Project on Ecological Governance

 

Victoria

Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2:30 – 4:30pm

Coverage of the event:

• ACT blog #1 (summary of presentations) - here
• ACT blog #2 (summary of public comments) - here

Panelists:

• Oliver Brandes, POLIS Water Sustainability Project Lead
• Jon O'Riordan, Senior Advisor, Adaptation to Climate Change Team, Simon Fraser University 

Moderated by:

Rod Dobell, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy;
Senior Research Associate, Centre for Global Studies; and Associate, POLIS Project on Ecological Governance, University of Victoria

Thank you to our local partners:

• University of Victoria's POLIS Project on Ecological Governance
• Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria
• ACT (Adaptation to Climate Change Team), Simon Fraser University

 

Edmonton and Calgary

Date: November 21 (Edmonton) and November 22 (Calgary)

Coverage of the event:

• ACT blog  - here
• Canada West Foundation blog - here

Moderated by:

• Dr. Roger Gibbins, President and CEO of Canada West Foundation 

Thank you to our local partner:

• Canada West Foundation

 

Ottawa

Date: Wednesday, November 28, 6-8pm

Location: 

River Conference Room 2200
River Building
Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
View campus map: www1.carleton.ca/campus/ 

Panelists:

• Jim Bruce, former Director General, Inland Waters
• Murray Clamen, Adjunct Professor, McGill University and former Secretary, International Joint Commission

Moderated by:

• Dr. Robert Slater, C.M., Adjunct Professor in Environmental Policy, Carleton University

Thank you to our local partners:

• Carleton University, School of Public Policy and Administration 
• University of Victoria's POLIS Project on Ecological Governance
• ACT (Adaptation to Climate Change Team), Simon Fraser University