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Blue Cities 2025: Navigating the waves: Strategic management of risk in uncertain times (Ontario)

May 14, 2025 - May 15, 2025

Free

Registration opens 2025-01-21 with early-bird pricing.  Costs to be announced.

Don’t miss this event shaped specifically for senior managers, thought leaders and cross-sector collaborators from water, wastewater and stormwater utilities; multiple levels of government; public and environmental health, national and provincial NGOs; Indigenous-led organizations; and knowledge and service providers from the private sector. 

his year’s conference theme is Navigating the waves: Strategic management of risk in uncertain times and will feature sessions on: 

  • Managing risk related to aging infrastructure and service interruptions 
  • Providing equitable, affordable servicing in the face of escalating costs  
  • Building resilient infrastructure for new housing  
  • Creating pathways to net zero wastewater  
  • Remaining nimble through adaptive long-range planning  
  • Preparing for climate shocks and trends 
  • Monitoring and removing persistent, mobile contaminants  
  • Preventing the spread of infectious diseases through wastewater surveillance 
Location

Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale

6750 Mississauga Road
Mississauga, Ontario L5N 2L3 Canada

Event web site
Organiser

Canadian Water Network

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.