When: Thursday, October 3rd – 11:00am PDT, 12:00pm MDT & CST, 1:00pm CDT, 2:00pm EDT, 3:00pm ADT, 3:30 pm NDT

This bilingual national webinar with simultaneous translation is hosted by Our Living Waters and offers a look at the Canada Water Agency (CWA). It features policy experts from the CWA, Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW), and University of Victoria’s POLIS Water Sustainability Project (UVic-POLIS):

  • Nadine Stiller and Meghan Sullivan (CWA) will discuss how this new agency is working to improve freshwater management in Canada by facilitating more effective collaboration federally, and enhancing coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples. Learn about key projects like the National Freshwater Data Strategy, the review of the Canada Water Act, and implementation of the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives under the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan.
    • Nadine is an Executive Director with the CWA and has worked for the Federal government for 25 years, holding a variety of leadership roles in transboundary water management. Over her career, she has developed a wide breadth and depth of experience on water issues in intergovernmental relations, Fisheries Act administration and emergency management through her work in close partnership with Provincial and Territorial Governments, First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
    • Meghan joined the CWA in 2021 and is currently the Acting Director of Indigenous Partnerships, External Relations, and Communications. Previously she served as a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and held other positions within ECCC, Natural Resources Canada, and Global Affairs Canada (working on Canada-US environmental relations). She has a background in public policy.
  • Ralph Pentland (FLOW) will speak to the long term policy horizon and opportunities for impact in the future. 
    • Ralph worked for Environment Canada for 13 years, negotiating and administering numerous Canada-U.S. and federal-provincial water Agreements, and was the primary author of the 1987 Federal Water Policy. Since 1991, he has served as a water and environmental policy consultant. Over the years, Ralph has co-chaired five International Joint Commission Boards and Committees. In December 2019, Ralph was awarded the Order of Canada “for his enduring commitment to conserving and protecting freshwater resources in Canada and around the globe”.
  • Oliver Brandes (UVic-POLIS) will cover the theme of watershed security and the role of national coordination to build towards a nested, integrated and comprehensive watershed governance approach – including law reform.
    • Oliver is an economist and lawyer by training with a background in ecological restoration and a trans-disciplinarian by design. He leads the University of Victoria’s award-winning POLIS Water Sustainability Project and the new Wildfire Resilience Project. His work focuses on water sustainability, sound resource management, public policy development, and ecologically based legal and institutional reform. Oliver is a technical advisor to the B.C. government supporting the ongoing development of the provincial Water Sustainability Act. He is also a founding member and Chair of the national Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW).

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

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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.