Q&A
Our Water Autumn Peltier
YOU
ARE NEVER TO YOUNG TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Mediaplanet sat down with Autumn Peltier, the youngest Chief Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation. Autumn shared her experience with public speaking and why she believes it's important for the youth to stand up for what they believe in.
How did you become comfortable with public speaking at such a young age?
Of course, at a young age, I had no idea where this path was going to take me, nor was I an experienced public speaker. I was nervous, but I had this strong urge to say something and use my voice for the water crisis. I was eight years old when I had my first opportunity to say something about the water crisis once I saw children younger than me not being able to drink water from their taps. At that point, I became angry that small kids never knew what clean running water was. The sad reality of that being normal didn't sit well with me.
How did you learn that not everyone in Canada has access to clean drinking water, and what was your initial reaction?
After seeing this personally on-site, it really bothered me, and I felt guilty as if I took having access to clean water for granted. These children had no idea and it seemed they were okay with it. So, I went home that night and I googled what a boil water advisory was and then the can of worms opened. I found out that First Nations communities have had boil water advisories for over 20 years. Then I found out Ontario had the most of all in Canada — I saw it was 95 percent Indigenous Communities only. So, I wondered
why only my people? I was confused because Canada isn't a third-world country, but my people live in poor third-world conditions. I was so confused, and my blood began to boil. This was the day and the exact moment that I knew I had to do something.
How did you feel when you were appointed as Chief Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation?
Being appointed Chief Water Commissioner was shocking. I had to really think, and my mom consulted with her dad, family, and other Elders. I accepted. Mostly, I was proud because it was in honour of my late great aunt Josephine Mandamin. Even though I wasn’t sure if I could fill her shoes and the expectations, I was honoured to continue such work. I knew the role was a big one and it gave me a chance to have a seat at the decision table. I'm also a high school student — as school courses get harder, everything gets harder to balance. I do my best and try to keep informed about things. Being a youth myself, I believe it’s the youth that can inspire. I also believe that society needs to start listening to youth more. They are our future, and I feel very fortunate to have the chance to connect to our world's future.
Do you have any role models that you look up to who are also advocates
of water rights?
Well, my biggest inspiration always was and will be my late aunt Josephine Mandamin. My role model would be my mother. She always raised us girls knowing who we are and where we come from. She raised us to attend ceremonies and always be around our Elders. The women who have been mentored by my aunt and who are water walkers are the women I look up to, and I know this work will continue even if I'm not around to do the work.
What is one piece of advice you have for the youth when it comes to standing up for what you believe in?
My advice for youth is that anyone can do this work; everyone has a voice; everyone has a grandparent that survived so we can be here and continue to stand up for our people, our waters, our lands, and our rights. You must want it and actually do it. It’s scary at first, but once you think about the planet and the waters, your heart brings you to another place where your ancestors’ blood runs through your veins and all you know is survival!
Today’s youth are driving the largest movement of voice across so many platforms as everything is so accessible. The more we continue to speak, the closer we get to be heard. When we stand together as one, we are one voice and one nation.
Two-Eyed Seeing for a Sustainable Blue Economy
Ralph Eldridge & Kaitlyn Hickey
Canada’s Ocean Economy is experiencing transformative growth. It has never been so essential to balance ocean health and productivity into a single priority, and as we look to sustainability models, we must use both eyes.
A priority for Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is to adopt a “Two-Eyed Seeing” (Etuaptmumk in Mi’kmaw) approach to bring together Western science with Indigenous Knowledge. To embed this in the Supercluster’s initiatives, an advisory group is currently working on policy and program recommendations to guide ocean activity that better aligns with Indigenous Community priorities. Shelly
Denny was an early supporter of the advisory group. Denny, Director of Aquatic Research and Stewardship, Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources, explains, “Two-Eyed Seeing recognizes the equality of different knowledge and the strengths of knowing through multiple perspectives.”
Indigenous Peoples have unique perspectives and relationships with water. Canada's three oceans have been their homes and have played an important role in sustaining and defining them. Many Indigenous Communities have a heightened knowledge of our oceans, the interrelationships between marine species, and their ecosystems.
“Indigenous Knowledge must be interpreted through an Indigenous lens, meaning that Indigenous Peoples must be partners in the process,” said Leah Beveridge, advisory group member and PhD candidate at Dalhousie University.
At the Ocean Supercluster, we know fostering collaboration with different ideas, insights, and experiences expands the opportunity for innovation. Incorporating Two-Eyed Seeing is securing new ways to partner with Indigenous Communities, breaking down barriers, and aligning commercial and community priorities that contribute to healthy and productive oceans.
The Canadian Rivers Institute Celebrates 20 Years Advancing the Health of River Ecosystems
The Canadian Rivers Institute is a community of aquatic science experts that practices solution-oriented science to achieve their mission to make every river a healthy river.
Sabrina Seecharran
Establishing a community of passionate experts
Founded in 2001, the Canadian Rivers Institute (CRI) began its journey to make every river a healthy river. Leading this mission was a group of passionate aquatic science experts from various disciplines at the University of New Brunswick's Fredericton and Saint John campuses.
Operating as a bi-campus initiative benefited CRI by allowing access to study diverse water bodies within proximity of each other. This included rivers emptying into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Bay of Fundy and the associated coastal waters, with a particular focus on the Saint John River. The strategic location and sharing of resources fostered a rich environment for multidisciplinary research in fisheries, ecology, river science, estuarine science, and ecotoxicology.
Establishing their roots at a single university also provided CRI with the autonomy to make decisions that have helped fulfill their vision of becoming a national and international leader in aquatic science research and education.
CRI growth and milestones
Over the past twenty years, CRI steadily grew its network to include fellows and associates from universities, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations to champion their mission across Canada and beyond.
Number of founding Fellows
Number of Institutions represented by current Fellows
These partnerships allowed CRI to develop a broader science-based framework to assess the health of lakes, river, and estuarine ecosystems, and formulate effective solutions to manage societal demands for water without compromising aquatic ecosystems.
In 2005, CRI was a co-recipient of the Synergy Award for Innovation from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which brought national recognition to their work. Their reputation of quality research opened opportunities to advisory roles with regulatory agencies such as Environment and Climate Change Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
One of their major projects included The Saint John River: A State of the Environment Report in 2011. Through partnerships with federal and provincial agencies, industry, and funding from various non-profit organizations, CRI published a comprehensive synthesis of the river's condition that covered socioeconomic conditions, river habitats, water quality, primary production, fish, and traditional ecological knowledge.
Over time, CRI built credibility for their expertise, which led to the request of their service for the Mactaquac Aquatic Ecosystem Study (MAES). Starting in 2014, this ongoing two-phased project, amounting to an $8 million dollar investment from the New Brunswick Power Corporation, Grand Lake Meadows Fund, NSERC, New Bruns -
wick Environmental Trust Fund, and New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund supports the development of best practices for hydro facilities to mitigate environmental impacts.
Alongside CRI's consultative accolades, they celebrate their students and graduates across 16 institutions in Canada and internationally that champion their mission and cement their legacy.
Future focus of CRI
CRI will continuously strive to achieve their vision of making every river a healthy river by investing in training and education, solving complex challenges such as the impacts of and adaptation to climate change, incorporating Indigenous ways-of-knowing into research, improving the understanding of scientific knowledge to promote science-based decision making across industries, and growing their network to broaden their capacity for interdisciplinary research.
The success of CRI is possible because of the collaborative and authentically collegial community established twenty years ago. The depth and breadth of expertise within its membership makes it capable of taking on large projects throughout the country and building international partnerships. Their dedication to solution-oriented science produces work that sets a precedence for research institutes, government agencies, and industries nationally and internationally to follow.
Number of countries represented by current Fellows Total publications since 2002
Current number of Fellows 4 16 4 946 7 30
Preserving Our Resources: Water Education with Focus on Sustainability
With the future in mind, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is training the next generation of leaders in water management.
By 2025, it’s projected that there will be 69,000 jobs in natural resource management and 79,000 in sustainability. That’s why SAIT has committed to offering programs in the environmental sciences.
It’s their long-standing reputation for forward-thinking education structures and industry relationships that set SAIT apart. SAIT's Integrated Water Management program is unique — it provides students with an intimate understanding of the challenges we face with our current water resources and the best tools and strategies to tackle these. Students learn how to implement and use various technologies, methodologies, and software alongside critical soft skills like stakeholder communication to ensure the sustainable management of water.
The program's holistic approach bridges the gap between policy and practice, encouraging students to advance and innovate the industry. Focusing on data and project management, global water availability issues, site assessment, and emergency preparedness, graduates will be ready to work in various industries, including environmental planning, water field sampling, water quality technology and more.
Seeing the whole picture
The Integrated Water Management program participants benefit from exclusive hands-on learning experiences like field work, virtual reality labs, industry facility tours, and guest speakers. Plus, students get to work directly with professional mentors and industry partners so that they’re staying up to date with current regulations, skills, and expectations. With the hopes of considering all social and economic factors, the program also includes the participation and knowledge sharing of Indigenous community leaders.
“SAIT has a clear interest in ensuring sustainable water management,” says Pablo Pina Poujol, SAIT’s Academic Chair of Sustainability. “Which includes not only exploring new water usage technologies and less water-intensive uses, but also talent development in water.”
Pablo Pina
Academic Chair, Sustainability, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)
Number of Canadian provinces represented by current Fellows Canada, US, Mexico, Italy AB, BC, NB, ONT, PEI, QC, SK
Q&A with the Honourable Joyce Murray
Mediaplanet spoke with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Honourable Joyce Murray, on how she is helping to restore Canada's waterways and coastal ecosystems.
How will the DFO ensure the restoration of waterways and coastal ecosystems?
As the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, I can assure Canadians that one of my highest pri orities, as reflected in my mandate letter, is the conservation and regeneration of our oceans and water bodies.
Healthy oceans are required for a healthy future — one that supports a sustainable blue economy for all.
Our government has committed to protecting 25 percent of Canada’s marine and coastal areas by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030. Before 2015, Canada protected less than one percent of our oceans, and I’m happy to say that we’ve already increased that number to nearly 14 percent.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada underpins all of its work with extensive consultation and collaboration with Indigenous peoples, provincial, and territorial governments, marine stakeholders, and environmental groups, to conserve and protect our oceans for future generations.
Our government has made historic investments to restore and protect Canada’s waterways and coastal ecosystems. This includes:
$976.8 million over five years to reach ambitious marine conservation targets through the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs); $647 million towards the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative aimed at rebuilding wild salmon stocks to a sustainable level; $10.8 million towards the Ghost Gear Fund to remove marine debris from the ocean, which pose significant risk to fish and aquatic mammals; and $1.5 billion towards the Ocean Protection Plan, which includes the Coastal Restoration Fund.
Canada will host the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) alongside Host First Nations — the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh — in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS). This congress will bring together a broad spectrum of individuals, organizations, governments, and institutions representing many sectors of society to advance further solutions for the protection and health of the global ocean.
Michelle Gray Director, Canadian Rivers Institute
Poujol,
Katherine Cappellacci
Joyce Murray Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard
How Canada's Top Water Institute is Leading
the Way in Proactive
Water Management
In 2021, Canada experienced record-breaking droughts, fires, and floods. How can we build water resilience for the future?
Jay Famiglietti, Ph.D Executive Director, Global Institute for Water Security Canada 150 Research Chair in Hydrology & Remote Sensing Professor, School of Environment & Sustainability
Helen Baulch, Ph.D Associate Professor, School of Environment & Sustainability, Centennial Enhancement Chair in Aquatic Ecosystem Biogeochemistry Member, Global Institute for Water Security
Jay Famiglietti, Executive director of University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Global Institute for Water Security and the Canada 150 Chair in Hydrology and Remote Sensing, says that the water availability we’ve been counting on the past 50 to 100 years is changing.
“We’re going to get less precipitation stored as snow in the mountains, and therefore greater river flows in the spring and lower flows in the summer. The timing of available streamflow will change, and the difference between the peak and low flows, the maximum and minimum, will increase,” said Famiglietti.
People used to think the availability of water from sources like rivers and groundwater would always be reliable, but that’s no longer the case, and that change is happening rapidly.
The Global Institute for Water Security at the USask is on the leading edge of proactive water management as a tool for managing these rapid changes. Improved forecasting, in depth research, and collaborations with local water managers are just a few ways that the GIWS is building reliance and adaptation.
Understanding crop available water in the Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies are an extreme semiarid climate and regularly cycle between wet and dry periods. Even in that context, the 2021 drought on the Canadian Prairies was one for the record books.
The region has been in a drier period for several years. A precipitation deficit has been evident since the mid 2010s. In 2021, a reasonable snowpack and limited runoff during spring melt recharged soil moisture reserves, and timely springtime rains provided an optimistic start to the growing season. The extent and severity of the lack of precipitation and intensive heat after mid-June, especially in the heat dome event in early July, rapidly changed the story.
People used to think the availability of water from sources like rivers and groundwater would always be reliable, but that’s no longer the case, and that change is happening rapidly.
Crops were unable to moderate the intense water demands and thermal stresses with the limited available moisture during the extreme heat, leading to accelerated crop maturity and irreversible thermal damage during what should have been peak growth periods.
To better understand and predict prairie drought conditions and their agricultural impacts, improved information, and models that quantify crop available water are needed.
Complex and spatially variable interactions between snow accumulation and melt, meltwater runoff or infiltration partitioning, crop water use, and agricultural practices all influence the moisture available to crops.
This is the focus of research associate Phillip Harder (Ph.D), a USask graduate and GIWS member working with the Global Water Futures’ Agricultural Water Futures project where he is striving to couple cold regions hydrology and crop growth models with explicit representation of agricultural practices to understand and predict crop responses to drought and their impact on water availability in the Prairies. Dr. Harder’s research brings together drone remote sensing, field observations, and modelling with the results of over 60 years of agricultural hydrology research at USask.
New research helps better understand how ‘thirsty’ forests affect water availability
University of Saskatchewan graduate Dr. Magali Nehemy (Ph.D) and her research team investigated how plants use water — where they get it, when they need it, and how these processes impact overall water availability.
Most water used in agriculture and urban areas comes from sources originating in forest landscapes. Rainfall is usually first consumed by trees in large forests, and then proceeds down through soil and water pathways to other environments.
Nehemy’s Ph.D research investigated how and when trees consume water — a process called transpiration — and worked to identify the age of transpiration, by understanding how long it takes for the water to travel within the tree after it enters the roots until it leaves through the leaves in the canopy. The project also analyzed how water-consuming forests impact the water supply available to other plants.
“Changes in forest composition because of logging, forest fires, or insect outbreaks may affect water availability downstream, and understanding the source and origin of this transpired water improves our ability to manage these complex systems,” said Nehemy.
The work is the first of its kind in that it identifies that trees constantly change where they are sourcing water from, depending on how 'thirsty' trees are, causing a ripple effect of impact to other vegetation.
“This research challenges the notion that most people have about the nature of how water flows in soil and reveals interesting details about how vegetation interrupts and alters this flow in space and time,” said Nehemy.
If water is mostly used by trees in forest-type environments, this could affect the availability of water for agricultural or urban use. This finding is particularly relevant as water resources become scarcer and drought conditions become increasingly common.
Cutting-edge buoy aims to secure water sources
A strong partnership between University of Saskatchewan researcher Dr. Helen Baulch (Ph.D) and the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant is bringing cutting-edge monitoring equipment to Saskatchewan to advance lake science and safeguard drinking water for 260,000 people.
“Climate change and changes to land use are putting unprecedented pressure on prairie aquatic systems and increasing risks of harmful cyanobacterial (blue green algae) blooms,” said Baulch Associate Professor in USask’s School of Environment and Sustainability, and Centennial Enhancement Chair in Aquatic Ecosystem Biogeochemistry.
To improve water quality monitoring, Baulch is enlisting the help of a high-tech buoy that’s been nicknamed Superbuoy. It comes equipped with research-grade weather and atmospheric monitors, and an array of winter-hardy water quality sensors for yearround use.
“From a research perspective, the Superbuoy provides continuity as well as some neat new tools. For example, it has cutting-edge sensors to more accurately measure carbon dioxide that’s important to lake ecology, and some new cameras with telemetry so that we are able to monitor the lake surface for scum, from our desks, and get down there to sample it.”
The new buoy is expected to be placed into service in time for the 2022 summer season, a period when huge algal blooms occur, and when rapid changes to conditions, such as large temperature variations between the surface and bottom of the lake, sometimes cause major problems for the plant that supplies potable water to the surrounding areas.
For Blair Kardash, Manager, Laboratory and Research at the treatment plant, the partnership with Baulch underlines the value of academic-industrial cooperation.
“We want to support Dr. Baulch’s continued research in limnology (the study of lakes) at Buffalo Pound. In doing so, we also get the benefit of having real-time monitoring for rapid changes in water quality, as well the benefits from her long-term research on
Phillip Harder (Ph.D), Helen Baulch (Ph.D), Magali Nehemy (Ph.D), Jay Famiglietti (Ph.D)
Phillip Harder, Ph.D Research Associate Centre for Hydrology, University of Saskatchewan
Magali Nehemy, Ph.D Postdoctoral Fellow Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan