Among the hardest hit areas of the flood was High River, a small rural Alberta town just south of Calgary. On June 20, 2013, after flood waters from the nearby Highwood River inundated the town and continued to rise, all 13,000 residents of High River were ordered to evacuate. In response, approximately 350 Canadian Forces soldiers and 80 RCMP officers were dispatched to aid in response and rescue efforts. Due to the flash flooding characteristic of this event, there was very little prior warning that resulted in major damage to homes and infrastructure. For days after the flood, High Riverites were told not to enter the town or return home due to concerns of contaminated water, unsafe structures and environmental risks. Residents stayed in temporary housing until communities slowly started opening. Nearly two months after the June flooding, hundreds of residents still could not return home.
The recovery and restructuring process has proven difficult for High River residents as damage exceeded initial expectations. As a result, questions and concerns have been raised at the political level surrounding overland flood insurance, flood preparedness and future mitigation methods.
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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.