CAMBRIDGE – The 11th annual Grand River Watershed Water Forum is tackling a question that is asked a lot, but not yet answered: A Sustainable Watershed: Can We Get There From Here?
The day-long event will be held Sept. 16 at the headquarters of the Grand River Conservation Authority, 400 Clyde Road, in Cambridge. Registration is open to the public.
Is a sustainable watershed a realistic goal? How can officials handle population growth and protect the environment? Will they have enough water to meet our future needs?
Those and other questions will be examined by Water Forum speakers:
– Peter Victor, professor of Environmental Studies at York University, and author of Managing Without Growth: Slower by Design, Not Disaster;
– Monique Dubé, Canadian Research Chair, Aquatic Ecosystem Health Diagnosis, University of Saskatchewan; Canadian Geographic magazine’s Environmental Scientist of the Year
– Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario;
– Lorrie Minshall, Director of the Grand River Water Management Plan;
– Joe Farwell, Chief Administrative Officer of the GRCA;
– Bob Gibson, professor of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo;
– John Fitzgibbon, professor of Rural Planning and Development, University of Guelph;
– James Etienne, senior water resources engineer, GRCA;
– Thomas Schmidt, Commissioner of Transportation and Environmental Services, Regional Municipality of Waterloo; and
– Kirk Stinchcombe: Partner at Econnics, a Victoria-based consulting firm specializing in water use efficiency.
The Water Forum has become one of the premier environmental events in the province, regularly attracting more than 300 water professionals, municipal staff, and politicians, farmers, business owners, and others.
Details about the program, speakers and registration (including an online registration process) can be found on the GRCA website at www.grandriver.ca/waterforum.
The registration fee is $100, or $55 for students and seniors, plus tax. That includes lunch.
