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News Splash
Canadian Water Network's
Quarterly Newsletter
CEO Update
Welcome to the Fall 2023 edition of Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) News Splash. It's been quite a summer, and let's start with the good news. The pandemic is finally receding, and people are embracing the return of travel and in-person events. For this reason, we're thrilled that CWN's flagship event, Blue Cities, is making a comeback after a three-year hiatus. Mark your calendars for October 24-25, 2023, as this is a networking and strategizing event that senior leaders in the water and public health sectors simply can't miss.
During the conference, we'll be addressing critical national water-related issues such as housing, wildfires, pandemic prevention, and engagement with Indigenous peoples. We're pleased to be joined by Don Iveson, former mayor of Edmonton, and a distinguished panel of VIPs who will shed light on the alignment needed between all levels of government and the private sector to meet the housing demands of densely populated urban centers. We will also explore the integration of grey, green, and blue infrastructure for enhanced community resiliency, as well as the water-related risks associated with post-wildfire aftermath.
This year, Blue Cities introduces a new program stream focused on public health and water. This stream explores the role wastewater surveillance can play as a complementary method to public health surveillance data. We're delighted to welcome several high-profile speakers who will discuss the future of wastewater surveillance in Canada. These speakers include Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial officer of health, Dr. Guillaume Poliquin, vice president of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory, and Dr. Thomas Piggott, medical officer of health and CEO of Peterborough Public Health. We invite you to join us for serious discussions and the social aspects of CWN's most significant event of the year.
Blue Cities News
Confirmed Speakers
Don Iveson
Former Mayor of Edmonton
Dr. Bonnie Henry
B.C.’s Provincial Officer of Health
Program Highlights
Municipal water management
- Plenary session on servicing the demand for dense urban growth, featuring former Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson.
- Engaging Indigenous perspectives on urban water servicing, featuring Joshua McNeely from the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples.
- Using a OneWater approach to address current and emerging risks, featuring Kate Polkovsky from the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission.
Public health
- National dialogue on the future of wastewater surveillance, featuring Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial officer of health.
- The ethics of wastewater surveillance, featuring Dr. Diego Silva, lecturer at the University of Sydney.
Advances in environmental water monitoring for public health decision-making, featuring Dr. Pim de Voogt, professor emeritus at the University of Amsterdam.
Event Details
Dates: October 24-25, 2023
Location: Chelsea Hotel (33 Gerrard Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z4)
Industry Perspective
Shedding light on solving water: The digital transformation
By Michele Samuels, strategic accounts manager at Xylem.
As utilities implement digital solutions, we often hear how technology helped ‘turn on the lights,’ allowing utility managers to see their operations more clearly, without the shadows of outdated systems, unconnected data and information silos.
Technology provides an essential bridge between data and decision-making, delivering transformative outcomes for communities of all sizes across the country. This is vital as the reliable, affordable water supplies we all depend on are at the intersections of climate change, increasing regulatory pressures, and an ever-aging infrastructure.
From our experience working inside water utilities and collaborating closely with leaders and operators, we understand the complexities involved in keeping the taps running. We have also seen the powerful impact that digital solutions can have on utility operations, no matter where a utility is on its digital transformation journey.
Thought Leader Interview
This thought leader interview features Dr. Monica Emelko, Canada Research Chair of Water Science, Technology and Policy and Scientific Director of the forWater Network at the University of Waterloo. She shares her expertise and experience in researching the impact of forest fires on drinking water source quality and treatability.
Water and Communities
Update from the Canadian Municipal Water Consortium
We are pleased to present the latest update from Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) Canadian Municipal Water Consortium, a national network of utility leaders who share a common goal of advancing municipal water management.
Presence in the Canadian water industry
The Canadian Municipal Water Consortium continues to maintain a strong presence in the Canadian water industry. In June, we participated in the American Water Works Association’s Annual Conference and Expo. Sandra Cooke, director of the Municipal Consortium, participated in a panel session where she shared insights on the role of social learning in support of collective action on climate change mitigation and adaptation. This summer, Sandra also authored an article on opportunities for maintaining water infrastructure in light of rapid growth and densification; the article was published in the May/June 2023 issue of Water Canada’s magazine.
Water and Health
Unveiling the hidden clues: Navigating wastewater-based surveillance in Canada
Over the past six months, an exciting and dynamic partnership has been flourishing between Canadian Water Network (CWN) and the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID). This partnership has resulted in the development of the Wastewater-based Surveillance (WBS) program, an initiative that has been orchestrating captivating discussions aimed at helping our public health practitioners decipher the secrets concealed within our wastewater.
The program brings together 25 local public health trailblazers from 14 different health units/authorities across the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Their mission? Decode the cryptic language of wastewater surveillance data and develop strategies to communicate their findings to decision-makers and the general public.
Water and Climate
CWN and partners secure RBC Tech for Nature funding to map climate impacts
Canadian Water Network (CWN) is thrilled to announce a new initiative as CWN joins forces with the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (University of Regina) and Climate West. Thanks to the generous support of RBC's Tech for Nature program, we are embarking on a transformative journey aimed at enhancing our understanding of climate change impacts on water availability across the Prairies.
Why it matters
The Prairies account for 80 percent of agricultural yields in Canada. While the Prairies are an agricultural powerhouse vital for both our nation's and the world's food security, the looming shadow of climate change poses unprecedented challenges to this critical sector. The very foundation of agricultural practices faces uncertainty as shifting climate patterns disrupt water availability.
Our path forward
Come early 2024, our joint endeavour will come to life. Through rigorous research and stakeholder engagement, we will map the projected climate impacts on water availability in the Prairies. Building on this work, we intend to unravel the intricate relationship between these climate impacts and their potential repercussions on agricultural activities, water demands and allocation strategies.
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