Naturalist, hunter and former Banff National Park superintendent Kevin Van Tighem revisits his July 2013 article entitled “Safeguarding the Source”,  

This article, published in the July 2013 edition of Alberta Views magazine, remains no less relevant in the wake of last year’s destructive flooding (driven by an exceptional precipitation event but made worse by damaged headwaters landscapes that shed the water too fast) and by the public consultations, which will conclude this month, on a draft land use plan for the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan.

 

Much of the flood mitigation discussion has been about engineering solutions (‘dry dams’ and bank armoring) on river floodplains, even though last year’s floods proved, yet again, that floods damage floodplain infrastructure – including dams and berms.  The importance of intact healthy landscapes not only for flood mitigation but also for drought amelioration gets lip service in the public dialogue, but little tangible policy action in the Province’s land use planning.

We seem incapable of seriously heeding the advice that, when the hole is getting deeper, it might be time to put down the shovel and stop digging.  Given that, and the old aphorism that ‘insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results,’ it seems appropriate to put this article out again for the important suggestions it offers for changing how we care for our headwaters. 

Read: Safeguarding the Source. Van Tighem, K. (July/August 2013). Safeguarding the Source. Alberta Views, 16,(6), 28-35. Retrieved from http://albertaviews.ab.ca/2013/07/02/safeguarding-the-source/ 

 

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Ross Douglas

Ross Douglas

Board Member

Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.

Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.

Photograph of WaterPortal Board Member Brian Mergelas

Brian Mergelas, PhD, ICD.D

Board Member

Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market.   With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry. 

Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector. 

He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency. 

Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field. 

Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation.   As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.