While the Alberta economy is fuelled by petroleum, it runs on water.
The Alberta Water Research Institute, now known as the Water Resources Strategic Area for Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions, brought together a team of Alberta and international water experts to synthesize a wide array of data and information to develop a complete water budget for Alberta. This water budget was made by taking into account surface water and ground water resources, current and future water use, and the integration of green and blue water resources.
The collective work identifies research and information gaps and develops an overall approach to the mapping of water risk and vulnerability. The initiative captures the ‘virtual water’ content of economic activities in Alberta – as an example, the water embodied in agricultural goods for export internationally and domestically.
This initiative engaged a number of international experts in this field, and allows for capacity building in the use of new models and approaches to integrated watershed management and improved decision-making.
Through a series of six reports, the research has attempted to adopt a holistic approach towards understanding Alberta’s blue, green, fossil and virtual water and to answering the following questions:
A number of key learnings and insights have resulted from this collective work, including:
We provide Canadian educational resources on water practices to promote conservation and sustainability. Our team crafts current and relevant content, while encouraging feedback and engagement.
The Canada WaterPortal is a registered charity, #807121876RR0001
We recognize and respect the sovereignty of the Indigenous Peoples and communities on whose land our work takes place.
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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.
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.
