JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021
CRUMBLING ASSETS Cities Struggling to Fund Water Asset Maintenance
Freshwater Health
Window on Wastewater
Access to Water Treatment
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Mark your calendars! CANADIAN WATER SUMMIT VOLUME 21 NUMBER 1 JUNE 9 -11, 2021 • OTTAWA
OUTLOOK WATER RESOURCES
8 What Comes Next 22 All Waters are Managing Editor Ocean Waters Improving Canadians’ literacy about ANDREW MACKLIN ocean waters by providing links to the discusses the biggest stories water in their own communities. in the Canadian water sector 8 BY DIZ GLITHERO, in 2021, and how we can MARK MATTSON, expect them to develop. AND SARAH MACNEIL 26 Freshwater Health INFRASTRUCTURE WWF-Canada shares insights from the data collected as part 10 Funding Water of their 2020 Watershed Reports.
Infrastructure BY ELIZABETH HENDRIKS How communities across Canada can access 14 DRINKING WATER funding to help pay for their water assets. 28 Access to Water Treatment A group of students work outside BY SIMRAN CHATTHA of the classroom to create a system 14 Protecting for small-scale water treatment. the Port Lands BY RACHEL HUDSON, NATHAN MCNALLY, A project years in the making AND MUDIWA MHARAPARA is transforming the waterfront east of Toronto’s downtown core. DEPARTMENTS BY MIRA SHENKER 20 5 Editor’s Note WASTEWATER ANDREW MACKLIN discusses what should happen if the federal 16 Window on Wastewater government missing its deadline Updates on significant for removing long-term boil water advisories. developments in the Canadian wastewater sector as discussed during 6 Front Window on Wastewater webinar. Flood Insurance and Relocation, Research on the Impacts of BY SIMRAN CHATTHA Plastic Pollution. 22 20 Pumped to Clean Up 33 People & Events Appreciating how pumps are Appointments, announcements, playing a key role in the and event reports. redevelopment of a large 34 H2Opinion wastewater treatment plant. Step in the Wrong Direction. BY BRYAN ORCHARD BY SIMRAN CHATTHA
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 3
EDITOR’S NOTE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 VOLUME 21 NUMBER 1
MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Macklin A Timely Investment GROUP PUBLISHER Todd Latham BY ANDREW MACKLIN
PUBLISHER Nick Krukowski WHEN I WROTE my first draft of this been screaming for years: predictable ART DIRECTOR AND SENIOR DESIGNER editor’s note, I was lamenting the funding that can be added to a Donna Endacott fact that the federal government was balance sheet’s bottom line. ASSOCIATE EDITOR obviously going to miss the deadline But the funding for operations Simran Chattha for the removal of long-term boil and maintenance of systems doesn’t DIGITAL MARKETING COORDINATOR Becky Umweni water advisories in Canada. exclusively address what is still needed A few days later, I began to wonder to ensure that every community in DIGITAL EDITOR Connie Vitello if the government had somehow read Canada, regardless of size or location,
EVENT MANAGER the note. has access to clean drinking water. Natasha Mawji The announcement from Potentially the greatest
CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Indigenous Services Minister infrastructure deficit exposed during Diz Glithero, Elizabeth Hendriks, Marc Miller that the March 31st the COVID-19 pandemic has been the Rachel Hudson, Mark Mattson, Sarah MacNeil, deadline would not be reached was, lack of a strong broadband network. Nathan McNally, Mudiwa Mharapara, Bryan Orchard, Mira Shenker sadly, inevitable. And it is, without How can remote communities be
ADVERTISING question, an absolute shame that the expected to afford to train, service, Nick Krukowski [email protected] government has missed the deadline. and manage new water infrastructure
ADVISORS Too many communities have waited solutions without a solid connection Nick Reid, James Sbrolla far too long and, even with the online resources? Simply put, they WATER AMBASSADOR understandable reasons for the delays can’t. Nor can anyone else in a Lee Scarlett to have occurred, I am sure it doesn’t similar situation. There is also the make it any easier to accept the reality need for energy redundancy, ensuring that boiling water will still need to remote communities have access to occur for months, if not years, into electricity resources that don’t rely the future. on fuel deliveries. Transmission It would be very easy though for the networks delivering clean electricity, announcement of the missed deadline or local renewable energy solutions, to overshadow the announcement of need to be addressed as well. new funding ($616.3 million over the As the federal government next six years, followed by $114.1 continues its work to end long-term Water Canada is published six times a year by Actual Media Inc. million per year) for First Nations boil water advisories, it needs to also communities. I want to shift focus consider how to ensure that they to this announcement, because it’s in provide the needed funding tools and ACTUAL MEDIA INC. 150 Eglinton Ave. E, #806, Toronto, ON, Canada M4P 1E8 need of a little more analysis. secondary infrastructure to ensure Phone: 416-444-5842 The federal government’s they never become an issue in Canada announcement of dedicated ever again. WC Subscription/customer services: 416-444-5842 ext. 7 funding to support the operations Water Canada subscriptions are available and maintenance of water systems for $39.95/year or $64.95/two years. is almost as long time coming ©2021 Actual Media Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be as the removal of the advisories. Andrew Macklin is the reproduced by any means in whole or in part, It could provide the one thing that managing editor of Water Canada. without prior written consent from the publisher. all infrastructure assets owners have [email protected] Printed in Canada.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 5 FEATURE CONTRIBUTORS FRONT
DIZ GLITHERO Diz Glithero is the national coordinator for the Canadian Ocean Literacy Council. PG. 22
ELIZABETH HENDRIKS Elizabeth Hendriks is the vice president of restoration and regeneration at WWF-Canada. PG. 26
MARK MATTSON Mark Mattson is the founder of Swim Drink Fish. PG. 22
SARAH MCNEIL Sarah MacNeil is the St. Lawrence regional coordinator for the Canadian Ocean Literacy Council. PG. 22 Government of Canada ABOUT THE COVER Creates Task Force on Flood Municipalities across Canada continue to struggle with funding for proactive Insurance and Relocation THE CREATION OF an interdisciplinary the viability of a low-cost national asset maintenance, leading many Task Force on Flood Insurance and flood insurance program and consider to have to be reactive, absorbing a Relocation has been announced by the options for potential relocation for higher cost of repair. However, there Government of Canada. residents of areas at the highest risk of are some federal funding programs in “Flooding in Canada has devastating recurrent flooding. place that hope to close the gap. effects for thousands of Canadians “Every Canadian deserves a safe and Read more on page 10. each year,” said Bill Blair, minister affordable place to call home,” said of public safety and emergency Ahmed Hussen, minister of families, preparedness. “Our Government is children, and social development. Coming up in the next issue: making investments to reduce the “Flooding threatens our homes and our MARCH/APRIL impact of climate-related disasters to livelihood. This task force will explore foster a more resilient Canada. This the best ways to mitigate flood risks important Task Force who will work for many Canadians and guide us in with all levels of government and developing future housing plans.” WATER the insurance industry to make our The Task Force will be composed communities safer and more resilient of representatives from the federal INVESTMENT to impacts of flooding.” government, provincial and territorial As a first step in creating a National governments, and the insurance Tracking COVID-19 in Water High Risk Residential Flood Insurance industry. At the same time, Indigenous Program, the Task Force will look at Services Canada will work with First Training Indigenous Operators options to protect homeowners who Nations partners on a dedicated Steering are at high risk of flooding and don’t Committee on First Nations Home Flood Urban Stormwater Solutions have adequate insurance protection. Insurance Needs to examine the unique The Task Force will also examine context on reserves. WC PLUS: Columns, news and insights, coverage on the industry’s biggest events, people on the move, and more.
AD BOOKING DEADLINE: MATERIAL DEADLINE: DISTRIBUTION DATE: Share your story about the Email Managing Editor FEBRUARY 9 FEBRUARY 16 MARCH 9 Canadian water industry Andrew Macklin at To reach Water Canada’s influential readers with Water Canada! [email protected] in print, contact Nick Krukowski at 416-444-5842 ext.101 or [email protected]
6 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 FRONT
Online at Canada Invests in Research WATERCANADA.NET on Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Natural Environment
NEWS: Water Equity Commission Convened by Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. bit.ly/WaterEquityCommission
THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA is plastic pollution is everywhere and providing $2,256,554 to 16 science- negatively impacts our environment, based research projects to learn more but it also determined that there about the impacts of plastic pollution on are gaps in our knowledge. The our natural environment. This funding funding announced seeks to fill these is provided through the Increasing knowledge gaps and help us move Knowledge on Plastic Pollution Initiative. toward a cleaner, healthier world. “The Government of Canada is working The parliamentary secretary made hard to address plastic pollution and the announcement during the virtual NEWS: All Communities in NWT Now move toward a more circular economy, Zero Waste Conference, where he Have Modern Water Treatment Plants. including by banning certain harmful also emphasized the importance of bit.ly/NWTwater single-use plastics,” said Peter Schiefke, collaboration in research to support the parliamentary secretary to the minister implementation of Canada’s Plastics of environment and climate change. Science Agenda. “By collaborating with university The Government of Canada has a researchers and not-for-profit comprehensive plan to address plastic organizations, we are bridging the waste, according to its announcement. information gaps on the effects of The plan includes moving toward a plastics on the health of Canadians circular economy, an approach that and our environment, making progress seeks to support change across the toward zero plastic waste by 2030, and entire lifecycle of plastics—from design creating a cleaner future for our children to manufacture, use, and recovery. NEWS: COVID-19 Early Warning and grandchildren,” added Schiefke. The plan also includes a ban on System Developed for Saskatoon. The Government of Canada recently certain harmful single-use plastic items bit.ly/SaskatoonWW published the final Science Assessment that are often found in the environment, of Plastic Pollution, which looks at the are often not recycled, and have readily presence of plastic pollution and its available alternatives. The proposed effects on the environment and human approach will put Canada on a pathway health. This assessment confirms that to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030. WC
Get your daily dose of Canadian water news by visiting watercanada.net or by following us on Twitter @CanadianWater NEWS: Alberta Government and CIB Make Historic Investment in Irrigation Infrastructure. bit.ly/AlbertaIrrigation
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 7 OUTLOOK
Investments in large-scale flood protection infrastructure was almost non-existent in 2020. If widespread flooding happens in the spring of 2021, could we see some funding announcements for these projects?
What Comes Next?
Developing stories in the Canadian water sector in 2021. BY ANDREW MACKLIN
THE NEXT 12 MONTHS will be very to hear Indigenous Services Minister for the water sector, something that is important for the Canadian water sector. Marc Miller announce on November 21, desperately needed. The worst case Billions of dollars are floating around 2020 that the deadline would not be met, scenario is, well, something we would as governments look to boost their citing pandemic-related construction rather not imagine at this point. economies in the wake of the COVID-19 delays among the reasons. However, pandemic, but how much of that makes the $1.5 billion in additional funding Large-scale flood protection it into water projects is yet to be seen. announced, targeted at operations and In a year where procurement and And speaking of projects there are many, maintenance of safe drinking water construction managed to progress many key water projects that are in the systems, was an important next step in on many fronts in the infrastructure discussion phase, but need to move providing support for water needs in landscape, this was an issue that did not into the procurement stage. And oh, the Indigenous communities. get its due. Granted the environmental politics of it all, how will our elected assessment process can be a long one, officials threat the needs of the Canadian The Canadian Water Agency and so is developing solution that make water sector over the next 12 months? According to the Government of Canada, sense long-term. But in 2020, it really Here is our annual look at some of the the Canadian Water Agency will play a didn’t feel like headway was made on key stories for 2021, and how they might role “in keeping our freshwater resources major flood provinces in Alberta, play out in the year ahead. safe, clean and well-managed for Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick. generations to come.” As another round of spring storms The deadline What exactly that means will likely create havoc in different parts of March 31st marks the federal be answered in 2021, as the federal the country, perhaps the federal government’s deadline for removing long- government looks set to provide the government, and a couple of provincial standing boil water advisories (BWAs) in Canadian water sector with some clarity governments, will put some further communities across Canada. We haven’t about what the agency’s mandate will financial backing behind long-term flood seen new tracking numbers in several be, how it will be operated, who will be prevention infrastructure. months, likely a result of the COVID-19 involved and, most importantly, what pandemic, but in early 2020 there were funding will be attached to its work. Tracking COVID-19 still around 60 BWAs to resolve. The best case scenario is that this in wastewater It should not have come as a surprise becomes the driver for new funding We have already seen case studies
8 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 OUTLOOK outlining the success of implementing technology that can help to detect President-elect Joe Biden’s plan for infrastructure concentrations of the coronavirus in investment could be welcome news for bi-national wastewater. And we know that cleantech waters like the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. companies in the water space here in Canada have been working on portable, rapid detection systems. The question is, with several vaccines in the offing, will this be a forgotten technology, or one that communities install in order to detect what comes next. Preventative measures will be a valuable component of Canada’s pandemic recovery. Funding for such systems would be a clear signal from government, at any level, that they are serious about ensuring that the need outbreak does hit our communities nearly as hard as COVID-19 has.
The Biden effect A new President in the United States could impact the Canadian water sector in a positive way, especially the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence. President-elect Biden has committed significant dollars to his infrastructure plan ($2 trillion), a plan set to include climate-friendly and in the face to the water sector and the where to spend funds to help support green solutions. environment sector in Ontario. economic recovery, especially on The new President had strong support infrastructure, it may be easy to overlook from many of the states bordering the Flushable wipes the water sector after it performed so Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence, and on federal radar? well during the pandemic. Governments a strong case has been made for water Is this the year that the federal may see it as a sector that is performing infrastructure in the communities on government finally takes the issue of just fine, not needing financial support. those bodies of water. With a focus on flushable wipes seriously? It might Of course, we all know that isn’t green infrastructure, President Biden be a stretch, but as more and more the case. Pipes are nearing the end of could be good news for strengthening their usable life, asset maintenance municipalities deal with the ill effects of our bi-national water assets. has been constantly deferred, and clogged pipes resulting from wipes than new assets are desperately needed in don’t actually break down in water, and Ontario’s Bill 229 some communities. foot the bill for the damage it causes, Conservation authorities in Ontario Hopefully the sector’s strong perhaps the federal government will take were left shaking their heads when the performance won’t be a detriment. WC notice. Post-secondary institutions are provincial government introduced Bill doing some key research on the issue, 229, an omnibus budget measures bill that includes changes to the Conservation and the research may help bolster the Authorities Act. The amendments would case for the government to finally take Andrew Macklin is the managing editor of Water Canada. allow developers to bypass conservation action on this ‘crappy’ issue. authorities, and removes some citizen involvement from CA boards. Water and recovery spending The outcry that followed the Without question, the Canadian water What do you think? Did we encapsulate announcement in November has been sector has done an impeccable job in the biggest storylines of 2021? immense, but the question is whether or keeping clean water flowing throughout Let us know your thoughts and you could not any of it will matter. Developers in the country. The problem? The Canadian be included in the digital edition of this Ontario have long pressed the provincial water sector did an impeccable job story, posted on watercanada.net. government for carte blanche access to providing clean water to Canadians Email your ideas and opinions to develop anywhere a piece of property is throughout the pandemic. [email protected]. purchased. If this passes, it will be a slap As governments continue to look for
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 9 INFRASTRUCTURE
Many federal programs are available to support municipal water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
Funding Water Infrastructure
What federal programs are available to help municipalities fund water infrastructure? BY SIMRAN CHATTHA
ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT in Canada to support a safe economic restart across and stormwater infrastructure (more have been affected by the COVID-19 the country. information is available on watercanada. pandemic in some way, shape, or form “We need to work together to pull net). Organizations like the Federation since March 2020. This is especially true Canadians out of this pandemic and of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and for municipalities across the country. come back even stronger,” said Karsten. crown corporations like the Canada As reported by Water Canada, the “There’ll be no full economic recovery Infrastructure Bank (CIB) have also been Federation of Canadian Municipalities without tackling the municipal financial supporting projects. (FCM) was calling for emergency funding crisis first, and the Prime Minister has To explore what federal funding for municipalities as early as April 2020 created an opening to do that. Now all opportunities are available for municipal due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. orders of government need to seize this water infrastructure, Water Canada and “From turning arenas into safe shelters opportunity to get support to the front the Canadian Water and Wastewater to deferring property taxes, municipal lines where it’s so urgently needed.” Association (CWWA) hosted the leaders are working flat-out to support As conversations about a safe economic Window on Infrastructure webinar on Canadians through this pandemic,” restart have taken place, funding September 16, 2020. said FCM President Bill Karsten. “But municipal infrastructure projects A number of industry leaders joined with new expenses, staggering drops in has been seen as a way to support the the webinar including: revenue and no freedom to run deficits, economic recovery in communities Carl Bodimeade from municipalities need emergency funding across Canada. Hatch Infrastructure. to keep essential services going strong.” The federal government has made John Cuddihy, Natasha Faruqui, In June 2019, conversations started to a number of announcements about and Katie Hogan from Infrastructure take place about what would be needed investments in drinking water, wastewater, Canada.
10 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 INFRASTRUCTURE
Patrick Kehoe and Matt Gemmell from the Federation of Canadian FCM’s Green Municipal Fund Municipalities (FCM). has become and important source of new revenue to Sashen Guneratna from the help pay for the repair and Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB). replacement of water assets. Hiran Sandanayake from the City of Ottawa. Indra Maharjan from the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA).
Government of Canada’s Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) John Cuddihy, Natasha Faruqui, and Katie Hogan from Infrastructure Canada kicked off the Window on Infrastructure by providing some information about the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) and how it has been adapted as a result of COVID-19. Hogan provided an overview of the Investing in Canada Plan. According to Hogan, over $180 billion is expected to be invested into the program over 12 years. She noted that the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) is the flagship program under the Investing in Canada Plan and it is divided into four we’ve identified the outcomes as being is available to municipalities through the streams. The streams include the: increased capacity to treat and manage well-known Green Municipal Fund. wastewater and stormwater, and “The support comes in two ways: 1 Green infrastructure stream, which increased access to potable water.” there is the direct funding aspect of it has $9.2 billion allocated for projects. “Thinking about the outcomes-based and there is a resource end to it,” said 2 Public transit stream, which has model, if that’s the overall outcome we Kehoe. “[There are] tools, instances $20.1 billion allocated for projects. want to achieve, the federal government for providing peer-to-peer support, and is not being prescriptive about how you learning from others around the country 3 Community, culture, and recreation achieve that,” noted Hogan. “We could to spur their projects.” stream, which has $1.3 billion really be looking at innovative types The funding has been targeted to allocated for projects. of solutions for water purification and environmental sustainability projects and 4 Rural and northern communities stormwater management that would not most of these have been infrastructure stream, which has $2.4 billion have otherwise fit in a very restricted projects, according to Kehoe. This has allocated towards for projects. asset class-based model.” helped inform the funding streams “The Investing in Canada Infrastructure In March 2020, the federal government (water, energy, land use/brownfields, program is an outcomes-based eligibility started thinking about how it could help waste, and transportation) that have model,” noted Hogan. “It basically moves communities respond to the COVID-19 been offered by FCM. the vessel away from a traditional asset- pandemic. The Investing in Canada “We like to fund projects at different based model. The water and wastewater Infrastructure Program was adapted stages,” said Kehoe. “We start out by context is the perfect example to think in two ways: a fifth funding stream providing grant funding for feasibility about how that outcomes-based approach (COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure) studies. This will cover up to 50 per can help identify more innovative projects was created and eligibility was cent of eligible costs to a maximum of to do in your local communities.” temporarily expanded for three of the $175,000. […] Next up are pilot projects “Under a traditional asset-based four existing streams. that test out real-world solutions on a eligibility model, we would be looking small scale. This again is grant-based for water and wastewater investments,” Federation of Canadian and is up to $500,000. Typically, [we added Hogan. “We would be looking at Municipalities’ (FCM) cover] about 50 per cent of eligible costs. the standard pipes, pumps, treatment Green Municipal Fund However, municipalities under 20,000, so stations, and things like that. Under Patrick Kehoe, an advisor at FCM, smaller municipalities, can request up to an outcomes-based eligibility model, provided an update on the support that 80 per cent funding.”
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 11 INFRASTRUCTURE
“Finally, we do have our capital project NEED FOR ADDITIONAL financing,” added Kehoe. “The capital projects financing is based on combination FEDERAL FUNDING SUPPORT of low-interest loans and grants. Typically, we are able to cover up to 80 per cent of During the Window on Infrastructure webinar, project costs up to a maximum of $10 we asked attendees a series of questions about million. However, we do consider larger amounts so don’t let that be a barrier.” water infrastructure. Here is what they had to say. Beyond the direct funding that is available, FCM also supports knowledge-sharing between municipalities. Best practices and lessons What type of water Has your Would you consider learned can be accessed at fcm.ca/resources municipality/ infrastructure is in approaching the Individuals can also access the funded the greatest need company has Canada Infrastructure projects database, which has information benefited of additional federal Bank to secure about projects FCM has funded over the last from funding 20 years, on FCM’s website. funding support? funding for a water available Wastewater 56.7% infrastructure project? through Opportunities to advance water infrastructure through the Drinking Water 26.7% the Green Yes 35% Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) Municipal Fund? Stormwater 13.3% No 5% The CIB is a federal crown corporation Yes 58.8% that has three core functions, according to Water I don’t know enough Conservation 3.3% No 41.2% about the bank 60% Sashen Guneratna. These core functions include: investing, advising, and knowledge. The CIB has the ability to “invest in
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12 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 INFRASTRUCTURE new, revenue-generating infrastructure at no-cost. We’re also able to help with and complex projects that would not using project-specific structures that structuring debt equity, help look at otherwise be commercially available.” attract private capital and appropriately financial models, and provide advice to The CIB can also help municipalities allocate risks,” according to Guneratna. municipalities on their projects.” attract private investment that provides In addition to this, the CIB is able to In the context of municipal water and “access to direct debt financing rates to “advise public sector sponsors about wastewater projects, Guneratna spoke help contribute to both the financial and project development, effective project about two challenges municipalities face environmental sustainability of water structuring options, private sector, and and how the CIB can help address those and wastewater networks.” CIB investment options.” The CIB is challenges. One challenge Guneratna also able to “collect and develop data noted was that “municipalities are Concluding thoughts and knowledge, facilitate evidence-based often close to reaching existing debt A number of federal funding programs decision making.” limits, restricting their ability to are available to help municipalities invest the significant make investments in drinking water, Under an outcomes-based eligibility capital required for wastewater, and stormwater projects. replacement, growth, Hopefully municipalities are able to model, we’ve identified the outcomes or compliance.” Also, leverage these programs in order to get as being increased capacity to treat and municipalities with a on road to economic recovery. WC “small tax and/or rate A modified version of this article was manage wastewater and stormwater. base cannot absorb originally published in the November/ increases caused by December 2020 issue of ReNew Canada. Guneratna noted that the CIB has large investments.” played an active advisory role in water In order to help address these infrastructure projects. “We’ve had a lot challenges, the CIB can work with Simran Chattha is the associate editor of conversations with municipalities,” the municipality to attract private of Water Canada. said Guneratna. “We can assess projects investment that provides “flexible at no-cost and evaluate these projects terms to accommodate longer duration
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 13 INFRASTRUCTURE All photos: Waterfront Toronto Protecting the Port Lands
An aerial view of the Lower Don Lands in 2008, near the start of the flood protection project.
Keeping the Don Lands above water in the wake of increasing flood risk.
BY MIRA SCHENKER
IT’S BEEN 15 YEARS since the Port Lands an urban context. Flood protection was hectares of land at risk. This represents Flood Protection project officially began, core to Waterfront Toronto’s mandate nearly one third of the 800-hectare with an Environmental Assessment (EA) from the time it was created by three area Waterfront Toronto is tasked with to study how best to restore the natural orders of government in 2001. The first revitalizing. Neighbourhoods like the mouth of the Don River. But that’s just phase of flood protection stemmed Canary District in the West Don Lands a blip in the life of this 38-kilometre from an environmental assessment for are envisioned for the Port Lands once river. Going back as far as 7,000 years, the West Don Lands completed in 2005 flood protection is complete in 2024. this river was a gathering place for in partnership with TRCA and City of Indigenous peoples, and a source of Toronto. By building a flood protection How did we get here? food and water. landform under Corktown Common and In 1912, the Board of the Toronto Waterfront Toronto’s role in this story lengthening of the Metrolinx railway Harbour Commission completed a plan officially started 2005 with the Don crossing over the Don River, Waterfront to transform Ashbridges Bay Marsh into Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Toronto and its partners protected a a massive industrial district. By 1922, the Flood Protection EA. A joint study large swath of downtown Toronto from marsh had been filled in to create more with Toronto and Region Conservation riverine flooding, allowing a master than 200 hectares of land, with another Authority (TRCA), the goal was to planned community in West Don Lands 200 hectares soon to follow. The Keating re-naturalize the river mouth and to take shape. Channel was built along the northern edge protect the Port Lands and surrounding The next stage of flood protection was of the former marsh in the late 1890s. The neighbourhoods from flooding in the in the Port Lands, where flooding from mouth of the Don River was redirected event of a regulatory storm—all within the Don River puts approximately 290 into the concrete lining of the Keating
14 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 INFRASTRUCTURE
Channel, sending the river out into the inner harbour through a 90-degree turn. Port Lands project rendering. Over 100 years, the area was filled in to create what we now know as the Port Lands. This transformation from a large coastal wetland to a hard, channelized river and low-lying in-fill has left the Port Lands and surrounding area vulnerable to flooding from the Don River. Starting in the 1950s, a second wave of development began. The Leslie Spit was built, as well as the Hearn Generating Station and the Commissioners Incinerator. The Gardiner Expressway was built in the 1950s over the mouth of the Don River. The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway ignited a renewed effort to turn the Port Lands into a major shipping hub and industrial district. These aspirations never materialized and by the 1980s, the Port Lands remained underutilized but contaminated by a legacy of historical industrial activities. The area had become home primarily to civic and city-serving uses such as salt ecological issues. This involved an providing governments with additional storage, as well as light industrial uses. extensive public consultation process assurance on the cost of this project, In 1989, a citizen-led task force began and a week-long public exhibition. ways to mitigate the risks, and a strategy pushing for a re-naturalization of the The winning design is by Michael Van and schedule for executing the project. Don River. The Task Force to Bring Back Valkenburgh Associates. This provided The first piece of work as part of Port the Don sketched out the first vision the framework for what would become Lands Flood Protection, Cherry Street of how the river could be revived. This the preferred alternative through the Lakefilling, received tri-government recommendation from the Task Force DMNP EA. funding in 2016 through the Clean Water was reinforced in 1992 with the release In 2011, Toronto City Council adopted and Wastewater Fund of Regeneration: Royal Commission on what would later be called the Port Lands In June 2017, $1.25 billion in the Future of the Toronto Waterfront, Acceleration Initiative (PLAI). The goal of municipal, provincial, and federal which included recommendations for the initiative was to retain the core ideas funding was awarded to the Port Lands environmental enhancements and flood behind the DMNP EA while developing Flood Protection Project. protection at the Don River mouth. strategies for accelerating revitalization In October 2017, the Port Lands in the Port Lands. This plan was refined Planning Framework and Villiers Island A 15-year timeline in 2012 and became known as PLAI 2, Precinct Plan were adopted by Toronto In 2005, we began the process to establish which included the Port Lands Planning City Council. the Terms of Reference process for the Framework, Villiers Island Precinct Plan Construction on the full Port Lands Don Mouth Naturalization and Port and Port Lands, and South of Eastern Flood Protection project began in Lands Flood Protection Environmental Transportation and Servicing Master December 2017. This ambitious Assessment (DMNP EA). This set the Plan Environmental Assessment. undertaking is slated for completion conditions of the EA. In 2014, the Lower Don Lands Master in 2024. Cherry Street Lakefilling was In September 2006, the Ontario Ministry Plan Environmental Assessment was completed in 2019. And with excavation of Environment and Climate Change approved. In 2015, the Don Mouth on the river valley well underway and the approved the terms of reference for the Naturalization and Port Lands Flood first of four new bridges installed in the DMNP EA and the study formally began. Protection Environmental Assessment fall, this project is on track. WC In 2007, Waterfront Toronto launched was approved. an international design competition to In May 2015, work began on the Due create a concept design that included Diligence Report for Port Lands Flood habitat creation and flood protection fully Protection. Mira Schenker is the senior manager, communications and integrated in a comprehensive plan for In October 2016, the Due Diligence public engagement, at Waterfront addressing urban design, transportation, Report for the Port Lands Flood Toronto and a former editor of naturalization, sustainability, and other Protection Project was completed, this publication.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 15 WASTEWATER
“The Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations lay out the conditions under which the wastewater effluent is authorized to be released under the Fisheries Act,” said Sarah Radovan from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Window on Wastewater What’s happening at the federal level with respect to wastewater management?
BY SIMRAN CHATTHA
WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT plays an In 2020, ECCC was considering providing updates on the Wastewater important role in reducing the amount amendments to the WSER. To find about Systems Effluent Regulations. of pollution that ends up in our natural the proposed amendments and other “As we know, wastewater environment. In Canada, every level work that’s happening at the federal level management is one of these areas where of government, including the federal with respect to wastewater management, every jurisdiction has an important role government, plays a role in managing Water Canada and the Canadian Water to play,” said Radovan. “The federal role wastewater. and Water Association (CWWA) hosted stems from our authorities under the The Government of Canada notes the Window on Wastewater webinar on Fisheries Act. The Fisheries Act prohibits that it’s “responsible for managing October 21, 2020. During the webinar, the deposit of deleterious substances the risks posed by substances listed Water Canada and CWWA were joined by into water frequented by fish or a place under the Canadian Environmental a number of industry leaders including: that could get to water frequented by Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999).” The fish, unless that release is authorized by Beth Weir from York Region. federal government is also responsible a regulation.” for the Wastewater Systems Effluent Sarah Radovan from Environment “The Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER). and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Regulations lay out the conditions “The wastewater regulations are in part Shirley Anne Smyth from ECCC. under which the wastewater effluent the result of a federal commitment in the is authorized to be released under the 2009 Canadian Council of Ministers of Klas Ohman from Associated Fisheries Act,” added Radovan. “The the Environment (CCME) Canada-wide Engineering. federal regulation sets the baseline Strategy for Wastewater,” according to standard, which leaves room for Updates on the proposed a presentation by Sarah Radovan from provincial and municipal authorities to Environment and Climate Change amendments to the make those standards more stringent as Canada (ECCC) and Nelson Ferguson Wastewater Systems Effluent they see fit.” from Indigenous Services Canada. The Regulations (WSER) Radovan noted that there are three presentation was made during the AFN’s Sarah Radovan from ECCC kicked off authorizations that let undertreated National Water Symposium. the Window on Wastewater webinar by wastewater to be released.
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These include the:
1 Temporary Bypass Authorization. 2 Temporary Authorization to Deposit Un-ionized Ammonia.
3 Transitional Authorization. At the time of the webinar, ECCC was considering amendments to the Temporary Bypass Authorizations and the Transitional Authorizations. ECCC was also looking at clarifying and simplifying administration provisions. ECCC has issued Transitional Authorizations based on three factors: effluent quality, annual average daily volume, and sensitivity of the receiving environment. Owners that were looking to get an authorization were required to collect data at the final discharge point for 12 consecutive months before an application was submitted. Owners Wastewater tracers, also needed to include a reason why a like artificial transitional authorization was needed sweeteners, have and include a plan to achieve the been used to understand how regulatory standards. wastewater moves An issue that came up with respect to in the environment. the Transitional Authorizations was that owners had until June 2014 to apply for them. “Owners of more than 230 systems, points at combined sewer overflows.” or not it met any criteria under the spread in 130 communities across As of October 2020, Environment and Canadian Environmental Protection Canada, did not apply for a [Transitional Climate Change Canada was looking Act,” said Smyth. “They concluded that Authorization] even though they would for comments and/or concerns on the triclosan, in the levels it is entering have been eligible,” noted Radovan. following areas: the environment, may have a harmful “These systems have been out of effect on the environment or on 1 Re-opening the Transitional compliance since 2015 with both the biological diversity.” Authorization provisions. Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations According to Smyth, triclosan was and the Fisheries Act,” added Radovan. 2 Application criteria. always detected in influents, effluents, “While communities have expressed a 3 Monitoring periods to and biosolids during a three-year period desire to comply with [the Wastewater determine eligibility. when monitoring took place. ECCC Systems Effluent Regulations], there is found that there was better removal 4 no authority in the regulations to issue Transitional Authorization conditions in biological treatment systems and it [Transitional Authorizations] after the and compliance obligations. found that there was an “interesting” 2014 deadline.” correlation with nitrification. Federal research on One of the proposed amendments Smyth also spoke about wastewater to the Wastewater Systems Effluent emerging contaminants tracers, more specifically artificial Regulations would “provide a new in wastewater streams sweeteners, that have been used to opportunity for owners of wastewater Following Radovan’s presentation, understand how wastewater moves in systems to receive a Transitional Shirley Anne Smyth from ECCC provided the environment. Authorization,” noted Radovan. “These updates on federal research on emerging “Some of our colleagues in Burlington amendments would apply to wastewater contaminants in wastewater streams. looked at sulfamate,” said Smyth. systems that would be eligible to receive One of the chemicals Smyth spoke “Sulfamate is also used in other a [Transitional Authorization] to the end about was triclosan, which is an industrial processes and so they found it of 2030 or 2040. The amendments would antimicrobial that’s found in cleaning was widely present in all environmental be based on current eligibility criteria, and personal care products. waters, including precipitation if you can existing system of points at the final “This substance was assessed by our believe it. So sulfamate obviously does discharge points, and existing system of risk assessment colleagues on whether not make a good wastewater tracer.”
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 17 WASTEWATER
there’s a “significant difference in capital and operational needs in these communities compared to what is found in Southern, and more populated parts of, Canada.” Going forward, Ohman indicated that there are a number of factors to take into account when building systems for Northern and Indigenous communities. The factors include: topography, geography, education, culture, geology, and climate.
Updates on CWWA’s advocacy work and Wastewater Committee activities Beth Weir, the chair of CWWA’s Wastewater Committee, closed the Window on Wastewater webinar by providing an update on CWWA’s advocacy work to encourage changes to the Ontario Building Code and the Ontario has been used as an example to identify opportunities National Building Code. where building codes can be “Inflow and infiltration has come improved to provide benefits, such to the forefront for us as a large issue as reducing basement flooding and save taxpayer dollars, according to for our industry to tackle,” said Weir. Beth Weir from York Region. “This puts us in a unique situation as the property line delineates regulating governing agencies. The public side is governed by provincial and territorial “However, they looked at acesulfame Ohman noted that meeting the standards whereas the private side is and sucralose, which are included in a criteria in the Wastewater Systems governed by the Building Code.” lot of diet drinks,” added Smyth. “They Effluent Regulations is challenging “To note, currently the plumbing and found these substances in wastewater for certain areas. As a result, the study heating industry is moving to harmonize influents and effluents, and septic undertaken by Associated Engineering building codes across Canada,” added plumes at sufficiently high levels that and the University of Ottawa focused Weir. “Therefore, all code change they could be used as tracers for getting on communities in more information about how wastewater Newfoundland, the effluents move and dilute into eastern portion of the Triclosan, in the levels it is entering the environment.” Northwest Territories, the environment, may have a Wastewater treatment Nunavut, the northern portion of Quebec, and options for small harmful effect on the environment Indigenous communities municipalities and that have less than Indigenous communities or on biological diversity. 5,000 to 6,000 people During the Window on Wastewater living in them. webinar, Klas Ohman from Associated With these parameters, Ohman noted requests are required to be submitted to Engineering spoke about some work that the project proponents identified both national and provincial codes until the company has done in collaboration “applicable communities and associated the harmonization has been completed.” with Robert Delatolla from the treatment technologies (20 of the more Weir noted that municipalities have University of Ottawa for ECCC. In common ones) across Canada.” brought forward a number of concerns. particular, Associated Engineering and What the project proponents found One of the areas of concern has to do the University of Ottawa have been was that “passive systems, such as with mainline sewer connections. Weir working on an inventory and assessment lagoons and wetlands, are more noted that “faulty joints create the of commercially available wastewater common in Northern and in Indigenous treatment options for small communities potential for leaking to occur” and that across Canada. communities.” They also found that “the connections at the mainline sewer
18 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 WASTEWATER SHOVEL-READY are not always tested or inspected.” Weir also noted that the National Building Code “does not include specifications for this type of connection” and that “design standards, product materials, and testing specifications need to include requirements for connections at the property line/mainline sewer.” On the private side, one area of DESIGN CONSTRUCT concern is when storm and sanitary services are located underneath basement foundation. “This can lead CIPP PROVIDES A to potential issues with damaged pipes SAFE AND EFFICIENT SOLUTION as well as the freeze-thaw cycles that occur with the foundation, which can WITHIN A YEAR affect those connections,” said Weir. During the webinar, Weir noted that a number of organizations have been consulted to address these issues. Ontario has been used as an example to identify opportunities where building Watch our videos and learn more codes can be improved to provide about us and our projects at benefits, such as reducing basement ferpalinfrastructure.com flooding and save taxpayer dollars. “We submitted 10 code change requests to the National Building Code and Ontario Building Code,” said Weir. “These code change requests consisted of enhancing the construction and materials […] to prevent cracks and sagging as well as other code changes for identification.” Individuals can track the status The essential source for of the Code Change Requests by visiting the following link: Canadian environmental bit.ly/CodeChangeRequests The Window on Wastewater webinar news, events, and resources. was the fourth and final installment of the Window on Water webinar series hosted by Water Canada and CWWA. But wait…there’s more! Water Canada’s Canadian Water Summit will be held in conjunction with CWWA’s Window on Ottawa in June 2021. Together, the Canadian Water Summit and Window on Ottawa will help build important conversations on the policy and governance issues that are key to unlocking Canada’s blue economy. Find out more at watersummit.ca. WC For more details or advertising information, contact [email protected] or [email protected] EnvironmentJournal.ca Simran Chattha is the associate editor of Water Canada.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 19 WASTEWATER Credit: Reimar Construction Pumped to Clean Up Pumps a key component of Woodward project.
BY BRYAN ORCHARD The new raw sewage pumping station at Woodward Avenue. THE 45-KILOMETRE LONG shoreline of Hamilton Harbour on Canada’s Lake Ontario has been at the heart of its surrounding Credit: Reimar Construction communities for many centuries. Once a pristine source The pumping station contains of fresh fish and a place of leisure for the local population, a circular split wet well located inside a circular dry industrialisation and the growth of the City of Hamilton have well where 12 KSB Sewatec had a detrimental effect on the life of the harbour. By the middle K700-950 G1 VGW vertical of the twentieth century, decades of toxic sediment, stormwater dry pit solid handling pump sets are installed. runoff, habitat loss, water quality deterioration, and other factors had caused severe damage to the Hamilton Harbour ecosystem. In 1987, the International Joint Commission (IJC)—the organization overseeing the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement—identified the 500-square-kilometre Hamilton Harbour as one of 43 areas of concern (AOC). Being on a list of locations where environmental degradation seriously impaired the use and environmental health of the Great Lakes was a wake-up call for the city. Over the past few years significant environmental engineering programmes have been implemented, the largest of which being the multiphase Clean Harbour programme.
Credit: KSB Canada Wastewater treatment project The first of the pumps being installed and anchored to their mountings. In 2008, the City completed the Woodward Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Service Area Environmental Study Report to determine a plan for upgrades to the plant. This recommended investment to manage wet weather flows, provide treatment capacity, and meet treatment objectives defined by the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, and the Federal Environmental Protection Act. Located near the southeast corner of the harbour, it is the largest wastewater treatment plant in the Hamilton Harbour watershed and amongst the largest in Ontario. The Harbour also contains one of the largest toxic sediment sites on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. Because the plant is the largest single source of water flowing into Hamilton Harbour, the quality of that effluent has a direct and powerful impact on the harbour’s water quality and environmental health. The Woodward upgrade project is a multi-phase, multi-year process that includes a number of sub-projects, each of which
20 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 WASTEWATER has its own specification and timelines. Canada as its pump supplier on the basis demands. In addition, collectively the Costing $340 million, the upgrades of KSB’s technology and knowledge of pumps had to be capable of handling include elevating the plant’s final pump station design. up to 23,600l/s and a potential solids treatment process from the secondary The design of the existing pump house content size of 190mm. The third level to the tertiary (third) level. This at Woodward Avenue is rather unusual in significant issue to address was varying increases the processing of the plant’s that it is a circular construction. This has flows. At times when the effluent level treated wastewater and will allow the proved to have its advantages and benefits, is low cavitation has to be avoided, and plant to reach strict discharge limits for the new pump house now under when storm conditions arise, high flows described by the Hamilton Harbour construction is also circular, containing have to be accommodated. By installing Remedial Action Plan for phosphorus, a circular split wet well located inside a four variable frequency drives (VFDs), all ammonia and suspended solids. A circular dry well where 12 KSB Sewatec the pumps automatically respond to the significant sub-project is the construction K700-950 G1 VGW vertical dry pit solid incoming flow. Finally, the pumps had to of a new raw sewage pumping station handling pump sets are installed. The deliver high levels of efficiency. and collection system control to support pump house has a total elevation of 81m Being able to handle large solids wet weather and flooding control above sea level, and at almost 30m the and control flow velocity gives the initiatives. Having an effective pumping subterranean wet well is much deeper than treatment plant the opportunity to drain station capable of handling current its predecessor. This larger and deeper wet the interceptors for cleaning through well prevents system flooding and provides the manipulation and control of the and projected flows is essential to the increased system storage. interceptor. On the existing plant it is not functioning of the wastewater treatment There are several benefits of the wet well possible to lower the level in the wet well and the prevention of overflows in the inside the dry well configuration. Firstly, to control the velocity in the interceptors. harbour. Construction on the upgrade dry well pumps, as opposed to wet well Thus, when storms occur, extra inflow began in May 2017 and is projected to be pumps, enable easy access to all pump parts and increased velocity result in the complete in July 2021. for in-situ maintenance and repair. When interceptors losing the ability to contain Woodward Avenue components need to be removed from the accumulated sediment and this passes pumping station dry well, they can be easily craned to the directly to the head works creating an surface. The split wet well design, with six overload condition. With the new pump Now approaching 60 years of age, pumps allocated to either side, allows one house design, it will be possible to drain the existing wastewater treatment side to be taken off stream for cleaning the interceptors as necessary and remove plant has a rated average capacity of without there being any adverse impact on the extra grit load to the plant. 409 million litres per day (MLD) and the efficiency of the pump house. For the mechanical seals KSB worked peak rated capacity of 614MLD If this is with the local seal supplier on a special exceeded, the excess water, being a mix The challenge configuration to accommodate the pump of industrial and domestic waste and With the pump house being of a rather installation and shaft. Split mechanical run-off from the land, is discharged into unconventional design, KSB had to address seals were selected and positioned above the harbour. To comply with the long- a number of design challenges imposed on the bearing housing, thereby allowing term projected processing requirements, the configuration of the pump mountings. them to be accessed and replaced in-situ. the plant will have a maximum receiving Formulating a layout for the pumps The dry well design gives the advantage capacity of 1,700MLD. In order to meet around the exterior of the wet well was the of allowing easy access to both the seals this requirement, considerable effort first issue to contend with. The answer was and the bearings for maintenance. differing installation By spring of 2020, construction of the At times when the effluent level angles of pressure for dry and wet wells, including the cast-in- the connection piece/ place foundation blocks for the pumps, is low cavitation has to be avoided, inlet pipe. This in turn had been completed and work on the and when storm conditions arise, meant coming up with service areas at and above ground level mountings peculiar to were underway. The first of the pumps high flows have to be accommodated. the configuration. For had been craned into position and this KSB provided a anchored to the mountings and complete had to be put into designing a highly tailor made volute casing for each pump installation of the pumps, drives and efficient pumping station containing with an integrated mounting flange foot, shafts is expected in early 2021. WC pumps with a proven track record in which allows the pumps to be anchored handling high volumes of untreated directly to the cast-in-place foundation wastewater. After due consideration blocks is, a concept unique to KSB. of the various pump options available, In order to handle the optimum flow Bryan Orchard is an independent technical author of wastewater through the plant, 10 Maple Reinders, contractors for the and journalist based in the pump station, together with the City pumps would be required for full-time United Kingdom. of Hamilton selected KSB Pumps Inc., availability, and a further two for standby
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 21 WATER RESOURCES Credit: Justine Ammendolla
Community marine debris monitoring survey, Placentia Bay Ocean Debris Team (PODS), Terrenceville, Nfld.
All Waters are Ocean Waters Bridging water and ocean literacy in Canada.
BY DIZ GLITHERO, MARK MATTSON, AND SARAH MACNEIL
IN 1966, LEGENDARY CANOEIST more than 3,000 Canadians who engaged development of a “civic relationship with Bill Mason taught a generation of in the collaborative Understanding the ocean” by the Intergovernmental Canadians what a watershed was through Ocean Literacy in Canada study (2019- Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. his iconic film adaptation of Holling C. 2020), led by the Canadian Ocean Fundamentally, ocean literacy is about Holling’s book Paddle to the Sea (1941). Literacy Coalition (COLC). The study humans’ relationship with the ocean. In the film, viewers follow the tale of co-examined Canadians’ relationship Canada’s Oceans Strategy articulates a young boy’s hand-carved canoe as it with the ocean through different that “Canada is an ocean nation.” journeys from the spring melt waters in lenses and lived experiences with the Indeed, with the exception of Alberta the Lake Superior region to the Gulf of goal of co-developing a national ocean and Saskatchewan, all provinces and St. Lawrence. This story led thousands of literacy strategy. However, to engage all territories touch on the approximate Canadians to recognize that we are each Canadians in a strategy on ocean literacy 243,042 kilometres of our coastline, connected to a watershed that ultimately necessarily requires engaging Canadians the longest of any country in the world. leads to the ocean, no matter where in on water literacy. In fact, when silos are The global ocean provides many basic this country we call home. stripped away, they are one in the same: necessities to Canadians—clean air, food, Fast forward 55 years to a question all waters are ocean waters. transportation, medicine, jobs—and posed by educator and artist, Karen is a determining force of weather and Tamminga-Paton, from Crowsnest Pass, Through the lens of climate systems. Alberta: “What do ranchers, heavy-duty ‘ocean literacy’ And yet, of Canada’s current population mechanics, teachers, and secretaries Ocean literacy is widely defined of 37.6 million, only an approximate from this part of Canada say to the internationally as an understanding seven million Canadians live near our ocean? How do we see Canada’s extensive of how the ocean influences us and marine coasts. Roughly nine in ten coastal waters in relation to our wheat how we influence the ocean. More Canadians live within 200 kilometres fields and coal mines?” Karen was one of recently it has been described as the of the United States border, with nearly
22 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 WATER RESOURCES half of those congregated along the Great Credit: Natta Summerky Lakes and St. Lawrence waterways. The hand-carved canoe, inspired by What’s more, a poll conducted by Nanos Holling’s Paddle Research in 2019 showed a significant to the Sea. gap in the Canadian public’s relational understanding of our personal, day-to- day impact on the ocean and the ocean’s impact on our daily activities. This is the very essence of ocean literacy. To what extent, then, if at all, do we recognize the ocean in our national identity and acknowledge its critical importance to our own physical, economic, and socio-cultural wellbeing?
Through the lens of ‘water literacy’ For many Canadians, it is not the ocean and coastline that form the pulse of our ecosystems, but rather the vast interconnected landscape of wetlands, lakes, rivers, and waterways. In classrooms and communities across the country, we are commonly taught that not mutually exclusive, and it is long past within and across different levels Canada has roughly 20 per cent of the time to adjust this narrative. and departments of government, as planet’s freshwater resources, made up well as corporate, non-governmental of over two million lakes and more than An opportunity to unite organizations, and broader civic society. 8,500 rivers. These resources provide Interconnections between our inland It will be essential to incorporate drinking water for all Canadians before waterways and the ocean exist everywhere innovative partnerships, sustained discharging into the ocean through one we look, as well as opportunities to support for education, dynamic of five drainage basins. safeguard and care for both. Alberta’s communication, meaningful community Inland waterways have long been used watersheds alone drain into four ocean engagement—including through citizen as the country’s original “highways,” basins: Pacific, Hudson Bay, Arctic, and science and open data sharing—and a serving as important means for trade, the Gulf of Mexico. Likewise, the North broad commitment to access and equity. navigation, and travel for Indigenous Saskatchewan River waters discharge in Re-connecting our inland urban areas peoples, long before the arrival of Churchill, Manitoba, with polar bears to the ocean will require re-imagining European settlers. These freshwater living at the confluence of river and our cities, where most Canadians live. routes, along with abundant access to ocean. Fish and birds also take advantage Our cities were built to discharge waste drinking water, are the main reasons of these aquatic connections, travelling into our waters, effectively alienating communities developed rapidly around between ocean and Canada’s fresh inland Canadians by emphasizing the need waters throughout to keep away from polluted areas. the year. “No Swimming” signs may have been To engage all Canadians in a strategy The challenge is intended for the public’s health and not in finding the safety, but ultimately, they have served on ocean literacy necessarily requires interconnections. to disconnect us from the water and, in engaging Canadians on water literacy. Rather, the gap exists turn, the ocean. because current efforts Exciting new initiatives in urban to engage people in centres such as the Gord Edgar Downie the Great Lakes and on our rivers, and caring for local freshwater have been Pier in Kingston, the proposed River why still today they are home to Canada’s siloed by what distinguishes them from House in Ottawa, or the False Creek largest urban centres. the ocean instead of what connects them. swim beach in Vancouver help to It is clear that for some of the 30 restore peoples’ connections to water million Canadians who live inland, their Potential pathways and increase water accessibility for all connection to local freshwater sources forward together Canadians. Perhaps most importantly, and waterways is far more tangible and Bridging current water and ocean these public spaces will enable people relevant than their connection to the literacy efforts will require an enhanced to form the emotional foundations for ocean. However, these connections are awareness of the value of this work increased water and ocean literacy.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 23 WATER RESOURCES
and recognize and learn from Indigenous- led conservation efforts (i.e., IPCAs; Land Needs Guardians). Indigenous Peoples of Canada understand best the interconnectivity between land, freshwater, coasts, sea ice (particularly for Inuit), and the ocean.
A concluding thought If we all accept that the ocean is the determining life system of the planet, recognizing that a healthy global ocean is essential to life on land (and not the other way around), then ocean literacy is a necessary pursuit. The goal of ocean literacy, at least in a Canadian context, is to encourage and support Canadians to discover for themselves the connections that water makes possible in our lives, jobs, culture, and economy. In 1985, before personal computers, Apple ran an ad during the Super New initiatives, like the Gord Downie Pier in Bowl portraying people tearing down Kingston, are helping people re-connect with the walls surrounding the fortress the water, helping build their water literacy. of knowledge. The idea was that the invention of personal computers would replace mainframe computers and Storytelling and the arts can also be career Canadians in decision-making give people access to knowledge and a powerful means of establishing these processes in response to youth calls knowledge sharing in their homes and emotional foundations and drawing to action for land-water health, ocean offices—a brilliant insight, as it turns people ‘to the water’s edge.’ They are sustainability, and broader nature-based out. Ocean literacy, including citizen crucial to providing a bridge between solutions. In particular, as the sustainable science, has the same potential. It will freshwater and ocean experiences, as well blue economy grows in Canada, we revolutionize our understanding of water. as in engaging those who do not already must broaden perceptions to ensure The connectedness of freshwater and the see themselves in this space. Bringing that both freshwater and ocean career, ocean and all life that depends on these these stories into Canadians’ homes can innovation, and tech opportunities are well connections can be discovered anywhere deepen the connection between water and communicated, promoted, and accessed by in Canada. You do not need to be on the our everyday lives; the ocean is always as many diverse communities as possible. ocean or live on the coast to discover it. present, even if the water is hidden from While these represent a few pathways You just need to go to the water’s edge. WC view. It may be locked away in the rock forward, there remain broader beneath us or diverted through pipes considerations to creating an inclusive and underground tunnels. The closest space in which all Canadians can feel Diz Glithero is the national coordinator coastline may be a hundred kilometres connected to local waterways and to the for the Canadian Ocean Literacy Council. away. But the ocean shapes our lives and one global ocean to which all waters Mark Mattson is the founder we, in turn, shape the ocean. flow. Perhaps most importantly, we of Swim Drink Fish. It is imperative that we incorporate must ask ourselves how the current and Sarah MacNeil is the St. Lawrence water literacy into the education system. emerging water and ocean literacy efforts regional coordinator for the Canadian We must also support, streamline, and are an opportunity to contribute to true Ocean Literacy Council. scale community-based monitoring, reconciliation between Indigenous citizen science programs, and tools and settler societies, and between related to water/ocean health as well as broader Canadian society and the land To read the Understanding Ocean data sharing (e.g., DataStream, Swim and waters. Above all, it is essential to Literacy in Canada study regional Guide, Land Guardians, Marine Debris increase coordination and use more and national reports (2020) and Tracker Canada, etc.). holistic, integrated approaches to It is a high priority to reorient existing terrestrial, freshwater, and marine to learn more about the national sectors toward inclusive practices to conservation. These efforts must engage strategy, visit colcoalition.ca meaningfully engage young and early and reflect community-level priorities
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WATERSHEDS Credit: Andrew S./WWF-Canada
Grizzly bear feasting on chum salmon in a river in Mussel Inlet in the Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia.
Freshwater Health
New data from WWF-Canada unveils issues of concerns. BY ELIZABETH HENDRIKS
CANADA HOLDS 20 per cent of the world’s good for overall health. However, 100 climatic disruptions. In the Arctic Coast freshwater, which is facing high levels of sub-watersheds did not have enough Islands for example, there have been stress from pollution, habitat loss and data to receive a score. This is a slight significant changes in flow in the past fragmentation, overuse, and increasingly, improvement from 2017 where 110 were three years compared to historic periods. climate change, and biodiversity loss. The data deficient, with 19 receiving a score With no major dams in the watershed, health of freshwater in Canada remains of less than good. Despite significant that fluctuation, and the resulting lower largely unprotected and unknown, and efforts and additional available data, data score, are likely driven by climate change. without enough data it will be difficult to deficiency is still a major challenge and address freshwater health in the face of it continues to obscure how threats are Benthic data can give us a better climate change and provide the proper affecting most of Canada’s watersheds. picture of freshwater health protection it needs. This year, we took Sixty-four per cent of Canada’s sub- a deeper look at the state of freshwater Erratic flows are a growing watersheds are data deficient for the to see how it has changed since our last concern for maintaining benthic invertebrate indicators—small assessment in 2017. Our new report raises freshwater health creatures such as insects, worms, snails, serious questions about how freshwater The additional data that was available and mussels living at the bottom of ecosystems are faring in response to for the 2020 report did, however, streams whose presence can indicate threats from human activities, and once highlight some new findings that can healthy freshwater. But where we do have again underlines the need for consistent help determine future freshwater sufficient data, it tells a good story with water monitoring across the country conservation efforts. For instance, with 78 per cent of sub-watersheds earning to identify those watersheds that need flow we found that the number of sub- a score of good or better. For example, urgent conservation action. watersheds scoring below good has the Ottawa watershed was overall data For the 2020 Watershed Reports, we nearly doubled since 2017, going from 37 deficient in 2017 due to lack of data for reassessed the health indicators (flow, to 67. This new data, which was available the benthic indicator. And now, with water quality, benthic invertebrates, and due to additional hydrological stations, focused monitoring programs, such as fish) for all 167 sub-watersheds and found revealed that river flow is a much bigger WWF-Canada’s Sequencing the Rivers both exciting and concerning results. problem than we thought. The lower for Environmental Assessment and Sixty-four percent of sub-watersheds water flow scores vary by region and Monitoring (STREAM), new benthic data with enough data scored good or very are likely the result of both physical and was available, resulting in a good score
26 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 WATERSHEDS for the indicator, which contributed to the Credit: Victor Daggberg watershed’s overall score going from data Significant changes in flows, compared to historic periods, deficient to fair. STREAM, a partnership are problematic and likely the result of climate change. between WWF-Canada, Living Lakes Canada, the University of Guelph, Genome Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada, has trained hundreds of individuals from dozens of organizations and communities across Canada providing them the tools to monitor their waters and contribute valuable benthic data.
Water quality scores are failing Water quality is still a major concern in Canada with 61 per cent of sub- watersheds with scores receiving poor or fair. More sub-watersheds obtained a score for this indicator in 2020, but the percentage of those scoring below good is the same as 2017, indicating that sub-watersheds that are data deficient may not necessarily be in good health. Despite this, we noted some good news in the Lower Mackenzie watershed, which previously scored data deficient for the water quality indicator. Out of its 22 sub- picture of freshwater health in certain across the country, build up and support watersheds, 11 were lacking enough data, regions, and demonstrated how without community expertise and Indigenous consistent monitoring knowledge, and convene provincial and This new data, which was available data can quickly go federal actors in freshwater conservation. out of date. Data In order to do this, the agency needs a due to additional hydrological stations, deficiencies were national framework that can influence revealed that river flow is a much not only observed in development policies and help bridge remote areas but were local knowledge and expertise into a bigger problem than we thought. overwhelmingly present national story of our freshwater health. in areas with major And the watershed reports can help showing the need for more monitoring. development proposals, like Northern shape that process as it addresses areas of Thanks to additional monitoring Québec and Northern Ontario. If we’re concern, where monitoring should occur, carried out by local communities, the unable to understand their health now, and where efforts should be continued to watershed now has an overall score we won’t be able to see how future keep up freshwater health. of good. The success of obtaining this development activities or climate change With the right framework, the agency score is due almost entirely to watershed will further stress these sub-watersheds. can prioritize the areas that require most organizations, First Nations, concerned attention and create policies that can citizens, and NGOs among many others, Modernizing Canada’s help ensure freshwater health, especially that monitor, track, and collect data in approach to freshwater in the face of increasing pressures from their local watersheds. In order to keep Canada’s freshwater climate change and biodiversity loss. healthy, we need a system that recognizes Protecting all of Canada’s freshwater Community-based water the value of community-based water systems can’t be done alone. We need a monitoring is helping to monitoring programs, standardizes collaborative effort and we need to be close the gap on data monitoring protocols, and allows bolder with our solutions and actions to A significant amount of the new data for access to open data. And we might be make sure that freshwater systems are this year’s report came from community getting closer to this with the federal healthy for the millions of wildlife and groups and non-scientists who, with government’s recent commitment to people that depend on them. WC training and support, have helped creating a Canada Water Agency. uncover these important new findings. Committing to the agency is only These programs contributed to additional the first step. We expect this agency to Elizabeth Hendriks is the vice president of scores, provided a more comprehensive provide national and scientific leadership restoration and regeneration at WWF-Canada.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 27 DRINKING WATER All photos: WIDE
The system proposed by WIDE would create water that is better tasting and more visually appealing. Seen here: municipal water from Fredericton, N.B. (left) and St. Lunaire- Griquet, Nfld. (right).
Access to Water Treatment Students reach beyond the classroom to impact positive change.
BY BY RACHEL HUDSON, NATHAN MCNALLY, AND MUDIWA MHARAPARA
WATER IS ESSENTIAL to all forms of life February 2020, the club learned about a from power generation. Many remote and for many around the world safe water tech-entrepreneurship competition: the communities rely on diesel generators for is not readily accessible or necessarily 2020 Atlantic AquaHacking Challenge electricity. However, in diesel generators safe. The reasons and issues why this (aquahacking.com/en), that focused on less than 40 per cent of the energy in the reality is true for so many are vast. Even water issues in Atlantic Canada. As this fuel is converted to electricity due to the right here in Canada, there are many challenge seemed similar in nature to some power cycle’s limitations. The remaining small rural and Indigenous communities of the goals of the UNB Water Project, 60 per cent of the fuel energy is released that do not have proper access to clean members of the club, along with some other to the atmosphere through engine water. Currently working on helping to students and recent graduates, formed exhaust and cooling. Team WIDE is change this reality is team WIDE: Water team WIDE to tackle one of the challenges: working on recovering this heat to power Integrated Design and Empowerment. “How can we develop tools to empower a water treatment system to produce Team WIDE is working on developing a small rural and Indigenous communities high quality drinking water. Additionally, water treatment system that can provide to manage their drinking water supplies heat will be recovered from the system high quality water to remote communities in a sustainable and culturally appropriate for community use. in a sustainable way. way?.” WIDE began developing a The team is pursuing multiple effect The story began when clean drinking sustainable water treatment system, distillation as a means of producing high water issues in rural and Indigenous placing third in the Atlantic AquaHacking quality water with the recovered waste communities piqued the interest of students Challenge finals in September 2020. heat. The process mimics the natural at the University of New Brunswick WIDE is continuing to pursue their project water cycle by evaporating the water into (UNB). The UNB Water Project was following the competition. steam and recondensing the steam as formed as a campus club in November To help bring accessible water pure water. The multiple effect distillation 2017 by students across several faculties. treatment to remote communities, process is highly efficient because it uses Through participation in the club, the WIDE is hoping to take advantage of a the steam produced to evaporate more members learned more about the lack of valuable resource that already exists in water. By heating, evaporating, and access to safe water across the country. In remote communities: waste heat released condensing the water, bacteria, metals,
28 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 This new annual THE GUIDE WILL INCLUDE: publication will Post-secondary institutions Produced by provide undergraduate offering post-graduate studies. students in Canada, Career opportunities for graduates. interested in pursuing a Information on ‘Young career in the water sector, Professionals’ groups offered with a comprehensive by Canadian associations. listing of opportunities Additional resources to in the industry. build your water expertise.
DOWNSTEAM To learn more about submitting information for the guide, will be made available in contact Andrew Macklin at [email protected] print and digital formats, To learn more about advertising opportunities within the guide, for FREE, in April 2021. contact Nick Krukowski at [email protected] WaterCanada.net/Downstream DRINKING WATER
evaluated. Four of the team members are A look at how the WIDE system intends to work, pursuing the system detailed design as with waste heat and source water used to create clean water and heat for the community. an engineering final year design project at UNB. This will involve building a prototype to help validate the concept and perform a financial feasibility analysis. The team is anticipating other members participating in a start-up accelerator program through Planet Hatch to assist in the development of a successful business plan. The team is also pursuing research collaborations with the university. Both the design project and the start-up accelerator will finish in April 2021, which will provide a comprehensive overview of the technological, economical, and business feasibility of the concept. This comprehensive overview will help the team the determine the concept’s feasibility and hopefully launch as an minerals, and other contaminants are Preliminary calculations have shown incorporated business and work to pilot removed. This ensures that the water that there would be sufficient excess the system in a community. is safe to drink. The removal of various heat released from the diesel generators Throughout the entire process, contaminants will also result in visually in a typical remote community to distill the team is engaging in conversations appealing and good tasting water, which enough water to meet the community’s with different communities to ensure is not presently the case in many small residential water demand. the design is accessible and culturally rural and Indigenous communities. (see Although distillation is a heat intensive appropriate. Team WIDE is also designing figure 3, water cups) As the resulting process, a significant amount of that a system to allow water information to be water from the distillation is already safe heat can be recovered. This could be distributed to the community to build to drink, only a small amount of chlorine, used in the community to heat homes, trust and pride in the community’s water below perceivable taste levels, needs community buildings, or a community and water system. Each step the team greenhouse, generating takes brings us one step closer to a goal The process mimics the natural additional value we as a society should strive towards: for the community clean water for all. WC water cycle by evaporating the and reducing the water into steam and recondensing reliance on heating fuel. This fits well the steam as pure water. with the foundational goal of WIDE, to to be added to protect the water as it integrate different systems to empower travels through the distribution system. communities in a sustainable and
These low levels of chlorine will not form culturally appropriate way. Rachel Hudson is a programmer for the dangerous disinfection by-products. As of right now, this is just a concept, Government of Canada and a former student Team WIDE is working to develop but team WIDE is working hard to make at the University of New Brunswick. a small community scale version of it a reality. There are still many challenges Nathan McNally is currently working this process which is currently used as well as drawbacks to examine. A few on his mechanical engineering degree in medium to large scale desalination. of the main drawbacks of distillation as at the University of New Brunswick. WIDE is working on designing a a water purification process are that it is Mudiwa Mharapara is a recent graduate customizable containerized distillation more complicated, often takes up more of civil engineering at the University of water treatment system. The space, and often has a higher capital cost New Brunswick. containerized format means it can be than traditional water treatment systems. quickly transported, and set-up, reducing Through a containerized simple design, water treatment project wait times, as team WIDE hopes to address the space For more information on well as capital costs. This will allow for and complexity challenges. Whether the team WIDE’s project, email more communities to have accessible system will be financially competitive [email protected] water treatment in a shorter timeline. and viable is in the process of being
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THE KEYS TO A BLUE ECONOMY Unlocking Water Policy, Governance and Technology in Canada
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APPOINTED to accelerate and grow markets that being able to do this in a sustainable, are vital to both water security and equitable, and inclusive way,” added The Lake Simcoe Region the future success of the sector. The Broaddus. “I am honoured and Conservation Authority formation of this board strengthens energized by the opportunity to add (LSRCA) has announced our commitment to the water my contribution as a leader on behalf that Robert (Rob) sector and the global transition to a of clean water across the globe.” Baldwin will be joining green economy.” In addition to Broaddus, the 2020-21 ROBERT the organization as the The waterNEXT Advisory Board Board of Trustees includes: BALDWIN chief administrative Members include: Past-President Jackie Jarrell officer (CAO) on January 1, 2021. Jeanette Jackson, CEO, Foresight (Charlotte, N.C.). “I’m incredibly humbled to have Cleantech Accelerator Centre. President-Elect Jamie this opportunity to take on the role Kim Sturgess, CEO, Eichenberger (Denver, Colo.). of chief administrative officer,” said WaterSMART. Vice President Ifetayo Venner Baldwin. “Over the past two decades, Rick Van Sant, Senior Advisor, (Tampa, Fla.). I’ve been proud and inspired to have MaRS Discovery District. Treasurer Keith Hobson (Ames, Iowa). played an active role in the growth and Rodger Bernar, Secretary and WEF Executive Director emergence of the Authority as a leading Archer Business Development. Walt Marlowe (Alexandria, Va.). environmental agency in Ontario, with Terry Mah, Thales Water Advisors. Trustees Rajendra Bhattarai (Austin, worldwide recognition.” Bruce Edgelow, Managing Texas), Howard Carter (Saco, “Certainly, these are challenging Partner, EdgeMark Capital, and Maine), Shellie Chard (Oklahoma times, but challenges also represent Advisory Services Inc. City, Okla.), Gustavo Gallo-Chacon opportunities and I thank the Board of John Van Ham, Executive (Monterrey, Mexico), Aimee Killeen Directors for their confidence in me,” Director, InnoTech Alberta. (Baton Rouge, La.), and added Baldwin. “I’m committed to Jeff Guild, Vice President, John Trofatter (Land O’Lakes, Fla.). working with staff and board members BlueTech Research. to continue to protect and restore Jack Elliott, Principal, The Federation of this watershed for the benefit of all Scorpion Advisors. Canadian its inhabitants.” Municipalities’ (FCM) For nearly two decades Rob has The Water Environment members elected a new worked for the conservation authority Federation (WEF) has president and board of in various business portfolios. Most announced its 2020- GARTH directors during its FRIZZELL recently, he was the general manager of 2021 board of trustees, first-ever virtual annual planning and development and watershed which will be led general meeting. restoration services. LYNN by new President “Local governments across the BROADDUS Dr. Lynn Broaddus. country are working on the front The Foresight Cleantech “For nearly a century, the Water lines to keep people safe through Accelerator Centre Environment Federation has this pandemic,” said incoming FCM (Foresight) has been connecting the world’s water President Garth Frizzell. “FCM’s announced the formation professionals so that collectively advocacy has helped secure the of the waterNEXT we can continue to raise the bar for federal support we’ve needed to JEANETTE Advisory Board. returning clean water to our shared protect essential services, families, JACKSON “We are excited to environment,” reflected Broaddus. and local businesses. As the pandemic welcome this exemplary group of “We are at a moment in time when progresses, and as we gear up for advisors to the waterNEXT board,” said that need is as essential as it has Canada’s recovery, we need municipal Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight. ever been, and collectively we have voices from every corner of our country “They bring decades of leadership in how an awareness of the importance of to be heard at the federal level.”
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YOUR INVITATION TO A CELEBRATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN CANADA
32 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 PEOPLE & EVENTS
City of Prince George Councillor Garth of the CIB following a recruitment “Anthony’s professional success Frizzell succeeds long-time Halifax process that attracted diverse and combined with his passion for our Regional Municipality Councillor Bill highly qualified applicants. The sector will make him an effective Karsten as FCM President. Board of Directors subsequently ambassador and advocate for our Registered FCM voters also ratified recommended Cory for the industry and our association,” members to FCM’s 75-seat Board of Government’s approval. said John Gamble, president and Directors, and the following FCM Minister of Infrastructure and chief executive officer of ACEC. Table Officers: Communities Catherine McKenna Karakatsanis first joined the ACEC- First vice president: confirmed the government’s Canada Board in 2016 and served on Joanne Vanderheyden, mayor of acceptance of the CIB Board of various committees. During his term Strathroy-Caradoc and councillor Directors’ recommendation to as ACEC Chair, he looks to build upon for Middlesex County, Ontario. appoint Cory to the position. the excellent work of his predecessor Second vice president: “The Canada Infrastructure Bank Lawrence Lukey (P.Eng.) and will Darren Hill, councillor in has an important role to play in continue to promote the important Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Canada’s economic recovery and role of consulting engineers in Third vice president: Scott Pearce, expanding Canada’s ambition to Canadian society. mayor of Canton de Gore in Quebec. build more sustainable infrastructure and clean energy,” said McKenna. George Heyman Veolia North America “I am pleased with the Bank’s has been renamed announced that Matt announcement of Ehren Cory as the Minister of Madeksza has been its new CEO, as he has extensive Environment and named as its president experience in getting innovative and Climate Change for the and CEO. large-scale infrastructure projects GEORGE Government of British MATT “I am very excited built,” added McKenna. “Our HEYMAN Columbia. MADEKSZA about the opportunity government is looking to Mr. Cory Heyman was first to lead Veolia North America at a to deliver on the Bank’s $10-billion elected as the Member time when environmental solutions Growth Plan that will create 60,000 of the Legislative and resource management are needed jobs across the country.” Assembly representing more than ever before,” said Madeksza. the riding of Vancouver- “I look forward to making the most of The Association of Fairview in the 2013 my experience to support the strategic Consulting ROB goals of the company and the customers Engineering FLEMING general election. He who rely on us for safe, reliable solutions Companies - Canada was re-elected in in energy, water, and waste.” (ACEC) announced 2017, and was name as the Minister of Environment and Climate In his new role, Madeksza will be ANTHONY that Anthony responsible for overseeing a company KARAKATSANIS Karakatsanis has Change in Premier John Horgan’s that serves approximately 4,000 been named as the chair of the ACEC cabinet. After again retaining industrial and municipal customers Board of Directors. his seat in the 2020 election, across the U.S. and Canada. Karakatsanis, the president Heyman was awarded his previous and chief executive officer of the cabinet portfolio. Ehren Cory has been Morrison Hershfield Group, will Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria- appointed as the new CEO serve as the chair of ACEC for the Swan Lake, was named the new of the Canada 2020-2021 term. The announcement Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Bank (CIB). was made at the ACEC annual general Infrastructure. Claire Trevena, who Cory was selected by meeting of members held virtually on previously held the position, chose not EHREN CORY the Board of Directors October 27, 2020. to run for re-election. WC
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 33 H2OPINION Want to share your H2Opinion? Email [email protected]
Step in the Wrong Direction
Schedule 6 in Bill 229 is supposedly intended to improve governance, oversight, and accountability. Instead, it will increase risks for Ontario residents.
Why Schedule 6 in Bill 229, Ontario’s omnibus budget, is bad for Ontario.
BY SIMRAN CHATTHA
THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT is looking Natural Resources and Forestry will use conditions for mitigating those risks. to “improve the governance, oversight, when making permit decisions. Unfortunately, Bill 229 passed on and accountability of conservation The reality is that the Minister is December 8, 2020 with Schedule 6 intact. authorities while respecting taxpayer likely to make political decisions that The Ontario government decided not to dollars,” according to a source quoted favour developers. This approach will listen to the concerns brought forward by by the CBC. But under the guise of be a departure from how conservation conservation authorities, municipalities, and improving the governance, oversight and authorities make decisions. More other organizations in the environmental accountability, the Ontario government is specifically, they make decisions by sector. Given that Doug Ford’s government opening up opportunities to undermine taking science-based information and has called itself the “Government for the the role of conservation authorities and public safety into account. People,” it’s unfortunate that it didn’t listen create risks for Ontario residents. The proposed changes in Schedule 6 to its own people when including Schedule In November 2020, the Progressive don’t stop there. According to an 6 in Bill 229. Conservatives introduced Bill 229: update from the Toronto and Region Do I think that conservation authorities Protect, Support and Recover from Conservation Authority (TRCA), Schedule should have good governance, oversight, COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures). 6 will force conservation authorities “to and accountability? My answer is: of Schedule 6 in Bill 229 is particularly issue permits where Minister’s Zoning course. Do I think that the changes in contentious in the environmental sector Orders have been issued by the Province Schedule 6 help do that? My answer because of the amendments it includes. in support of development.” is: no. If anything, Schedule 6 has the One particular concern about the This completely undermines the potential to create risks for those that changes in Schedule 6 is that they will work that conservation authorities live in Ontario. That’s why I think that give the Minister of Natural Resources do because it doesn’t give them an Schedule 6 in Bill 229 is a step in the and Forestry the ability to override opportunity to evaluate the potential wrong direction. WC permit decisions made by conservation risks a development might have. If risks authorities. There is no information on are found, it doesn’t give conservation Simran Chattha is the associate editor what type of information Minister of authorities an opportunity to set of Water Canada.
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