Author: Shannon Smithwick

Impacts of Drought

Drought Drought can have a wide range of impacts on the environment, the economy and on society. Drought becomes most obvious to us when we feel its impacts and consequences, […]

Social Impacts of Drought

Drought Drought can affect human health Drought becomes most apparent when it impacts our daily lives. The social impacts of drought in Canada are usually indirect. That is, they are […]

Agriculture’s Water Future

Water stewardship in an agricultural supply chain: pilot project identifies benefits and challenges From March 2021 to March 2023, a pilot project in the Oldman River Watershed was conducted to […]

The Economics of Alberta Irrigation

Overview Alberta’s irrigation districts, situated within the South Saskatchewan River Basin, represent the most diversified and intensive irrigation development in Alberta. Over 83% (560,520 hectares) of Alberta’s irrigated land is […]

Western Irrigation District

C Canal Rehabilitation Highway 21 to Range Road 240 C Canal Rehabilitation Highway 21 to Range Road 240 This project involves the modernization of the C Canal system between Highway […]

United Irrigation District Modernization 

The following is a complete list of all projects included in the United Irrigation District (UID) under this program. There are three modernization projects.  Lateral A1e Pipeline  This project will […]

Ross Creek Irrigation District 

Open Canal To Pipeline The project will convert 2,500 meters of open canal to buried water pipeline.  The buried water pipeline will serve 140 acres of pivot irrigation. The canal […]

Raymond Irrigation District 

The following is a complete list of all projects included in the Raymond Irrigation District (RID) under this program. There are four modernization projects and one shared reservoir project.  Modernization […]

Southwest Irrigation District

Lateral G Phase 2 Pipeline Completion This project will complete phase two of the Lateral G pipeline. The project replaces an open ditch channel with a closed pipeline to improve […]

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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.