Author: Shannon Smithwick

Flood Mitigation: Soft Engineering

Flood External Resources Presentations and Minutes from the BRBC Quarterly Forum on Flood Mitigation South Saskatchewan River Basin Snow Data What is soft engineering? Traditionally, shore stabilizations have been constructed […]

Drought in the 21st Century

Timeline of Alberta's 21st Century droughts superimposed on an arrow pointing into the unknown future.

Drought One of Canada’s Costliest Natural Disasters Drought once again affected Alberta in the early 21st century. Starting in 1999, and lasting until 2004 the drought during this period was […]

Economic Impacts of Flooding

Flood Flooding is Canada’s most costly type of natural disaster [1]. Flooding is responsible for extreme damage and destruction to property, public areas, and the environment which incurs enormous costs for […]

Environmental Impacts of Flooding

Flood Flooding has both positive and negative consequences. On the negative side, flood water usually contains debris and pollutants. Debris can include trees and stones, or even pieces of houses. […]

Dams and Reservoirs in Alberta

There are numerous reservoirs and dams in Alberta. Explore some of these reservoirs in the following storymap. Sources TransAlta. (2012) Barrier. Retrieved from http://www.transalta.com/facilities/plants-operation/barrier TransAlta. (2015). Belly River. Retrieved from […]

Environmental Impacts of Drought

Drought The environment is directly impacted by drought. Drought can affect water sources, land, fish and wildlife and plant communities. The extent of the effects depends on the type, severity […]

Agriculture in Alberta

Diversity of Landscapes in Alberta Alberta has one of the world’s most productive agricultural economies.  In 2020, Alberta farms reported $22.2 billion in revenue which was more than any other […]

Flood Mitigation: Underground Flood Tunnels

Flood External Resources Presentations and Minutes from the BRBC Quarterly Forum on Flood Mitigation South Saskatchewan River Basin Snow Data What is an underground flood tunnel? An underground floodway diverts […]

Economic Impacts of Drought

Drought Drought can cost people, businesses and governments money. These impacts may be local, and only affect those in the drought-stricken area, or they may be widespread and also affect […]

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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.