Author: Shannon Smithwick

Why Alberta Irrigation Matters

With more irrigated agricultural land than the rest of Canada combined, Alberta is the ‘capital of irrigation’ in Canada. Irrigation provides agricultural producers with a supply of water to supplement […]

Follow the Drop – Lower Bow River

Restart Go Back Welcome Welcome Congratulations and welcome to the lower reaches of the Bow River! The lower Bow River provides habitat for species that like deep, slower-moving water. The region is mostly […]

Follow the Drop – Deep Well Disposal

Restart Go Back Deep Well Disposal Welcome Water Quality Welcome You are part of a highly contaminated industry waste stream from a food processing plant. Highly contaminated waste cannot be released back […]

Follow the Drop – Crop Irrigation

Restart Go Back Crop Irrigation Welcome Water Quality Welcome Choosing to become a drop of irrigated water is extremely helpful for food production in the Bow River Watershed, where water is often diverted from […]

Follow the Drop – Power Plant Cooling

Restart Go Back Power Plant Cooling Welcome Water Quality Welcome You’ve arrived at the thermal generation power plant, but you may not yet know what you are doing there! Just so […]

Follow the Drop – Household Reuse

Restart Go Back Household Reuse Welcome Water Quality Welcome All of the water on the earth is part of a cycle, and it will be used over and over again for […]

Follow the Drop – Food

Restart Go Back Food Welcome Welcome Congratulations! By choosing food as your next step, you will help feed the world by being exported from the Bow River Watershed as part of the water contained […]

Follow the Drop – Industrial Operations

Restart Go Back Industrial Operations Welcome Water Quality Welcome Have you ever considered how the food and beverage processing industry is dependent on water? Water from the Bow River is used for […]

Follow the Drop – Middle Bow River

Restart Go Back Middle Bow River Welcome Water Quality Welcome You’ve arrived in the middle section of the Bow River where many different ecosystems and human communities are supported. Here, huge amounts […]

Follow the Drop – Plants

Restart Go Back Plants Welcome Water Quality Welcome Your choice to become water for a plant means that you will be absorbed from the soil through the plant’s roots. Because water absorbed by plant […]

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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.