June 4, 2025 – 7 pm
Join the The Council of Canadians Edmonton Chapter for our June 4 webinar on threats to our prairie water, existing legal protections and opportunities to better conserve it.
The Council of Canadians Edmonton Chapter will present an Expert Panel Webinar on prairie water with speakers from hydrology, law, agriculture and biological. Questions we hope to answer include:
- What are the current internal threats to Canadian prairie water? Fresh water in Canada’s Prairie Provinces is under serious threat from climate change and drought, source depletion, industrial growth, hydroelectric dams, outdated policies, agreements and laws, and mismanagement.
- What tools do Canadians have to confront threats to our water? Laws, agreements and treaties are available to us e.g. The Alberta Water Act currently bans bulk water export. Can Trump overrule these?
- Can we transform the perceived threats to our water into opportunities to better conserve what we have? What current practices need attention to achieve that? For example, storage and diversion do not solve the problems of waste and source protection.
SPEAKERS AND TOPICS
Dr. Tricia Stadnyk – P.Eng. Canada Research Chair Tier II (Hydrologic Modelling) Professor, Schulich School of Engineering (Civil) & Faculty of Arts (Geography) University of Calgary | Treaty 7
Topic – Canada’s water security for the 21st century as decreasing supply across a drought-prone Prairies intersects with increasing demand, intensive regulation and practices, antiquated licensing, and geopolitical tension. Deficient policy and investment and insufficient national water policy.
Wendy Holm, P.Ag.(Ret’d), M.M.C.C.U.
Topic – Peace River Hydoelectric Dams i.e. Existing Bennett and Site C dams, proposed Amisk Hydroelectric Dam, trade agreements and US Army Corps of Engineers continental plans to divert Alaskan water into the Peace River and south into the US via the Amisk dam.
Dr. Allen Good, Professor Emeritus, U of A Biological Sciences
Topic – Demand for water by the agricultural sector, and how that integrates with the changes in available water due to climate change. Water agreements in S. Alberta and Sask.
4) Martin Z. Olszynski, LL.M, LL.B., B.Sc. Associate Professor and Chair in Energy, Resources and Sustainability Faculty of Law, University of Calgary – Martin previously worked as legal counsel for Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Topic– Alberta rules around water licensing and prohibitions on inter-basin transfers.
Please join us to help determine the future of our most precious resource – water.
Website : https://edmontoncouncilofcanadians.ca/
RSVP E-mail : edmontoncouncil@yahoo.ca
edmontoncouncilofcanadians.ca 