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Presentations and Videos

Introductory Remarks

• Welcome from the International Institute for Sustainable Development - RealVideo
  » Bill Glanville, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, International Institute for Sustainable Development

• The Prairie Water Policy Symposium Introduction (PPT - 870 kb) - RealVideo
  » Henry David Venema, Director, Sustainable Natural Resources Management, International Institute for Sustainable Development

Biophysical Challenges

• Some Historical Perspectives on the Hydroclimate of the Eastern Prairies (PPT - 7.6 mb) - RealVideo
  » Bill Rannie, Professor and Chair of Geography, University of Winnipeg

• Surface Water Challenges on the Canadian Prairies – Risk and Adaptation (PPT - 10 mb) - RealVideo
  » Dave Kiely, Manager, National Water Supply Expansion Program, AAFC-PFRA The Canadian prairies have a long history of adapting and coping with water supply challenges. The prairies are a region that experiences recurrent drought due to climate limitations. Hydrologic drought has forced adaptation and structural solutions in the past. Economic and social factors are becoming more important as surface water supplies are becoming more precious. Experience gained from coping with current climate variability should be harnessed to address future adaptation to climate change/climate variability.

• Information Systems Required to Ensure Sustainable Groundwater Supply (PPT - 12 mb) - RealVideo
  » Harvey Thorleifson, Director, Minnesota Geological Survey Surface water and groundwater systems are linked, and both human and ecosystem well-being are dependent on the quantity and quality of this hydrological cycle. Groundwater is the key water source for drinking water and irrigation—it is our only usable freshwater reserve, and it sustains wetlands and stream flow. We currently are striving to ensure that our groundwater usage is sustainable which requires sustainable pumping rates, maintenance of water quality, preservation of aquatic environments and integrated surface/groundwater management. Mapping of soils, geology, and groundwater systems in 3D is required to guide groundwater protection, monitoring, and management. Geological mapping therefore is rapidly shifting from the production of paper maps to construction of digital, interactive, 3D models that more fully characterize relevant material properties and provide insights into the capacity and vulnerability of regional groundwater systems.

• Urbanization: Physical Realities and Policy Trajectories (Presentation Unavailable) - RealVideo
  » Roger Gibbins, President and CEO, Canada West Foundation Urbanization is both an established feature of, and an unrelenting trend on, the prairie landscape. At the same time, potential water shortages are a growing trend across the prairie west. However, the relationship between urbanization and looming water shortages is complex. For the most part, cities are efficient consumers of water, and thus the impact of urbanization on water shortages may be less than the impact of water shortages on urbanization. In the short term, the greatest impact of urbanization may come from their growing demographic and political clout; the impact of what we do in the cities with respect to water conservation may have less to do with the physical realities of water shortages than it will with respect to the public policy frameworks through which we will address more contentious and problematic water issues.

• Water Quality in the Lake Winnipeg Watershed (PPT - 1.8 mb) - RealVideo
  » Kevin Cash, Chief, Ecological Sciences Division, Environment Canada, Prairie and Northern Region The Lake Winnipeg watershed is faced with a vast array of environmental issues including water availability (too much and too little); water quality; habitat fragmentation; wildlife and habitat loss (e.g., wetlands and uplands); invasive species; wildlife disease; genetic pollution; degraded freshwater fisheries and fish habitat; municipal water and urban sprawl; climate change; and flow regulation. The federal government has a wide variety of interests that relate to the long-term sustainability of the water resources within the inter-jurisdictional Lake Winnipeg Watershed and of Lake Winnipeg. Actions are required to restore Lake Winnipeg whilst providing economic opportunities and social benefits without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. It also acknowledges that sound knowledge about the watershed resources and ecological processes is a pre-requisite to sound decision-making. This presentation will describe Environment Canada's current water quality program within the basin and will briefly outline a proposed path forward to provide the science understanding required for effective management of this system.

• Alberta's Water for Life Strategy: Implications for the Oil and Gas Industry (PPT - 687 kb) - RealVideo
  » Sue Lowell, Director, Sustainability Strategy, Suncor Energy Water is an important resource in the Province of Alberta. The provincial government is implementing its Water for Life Strategy which identified three key directions—knowledge and research, partnerships and water conservation. This presentation will elaborate on how the strategy affects the oil and gas industry, and show what roles the industry must play to continue its growth and development.

• Geographical Analysis of Cumulative Threats to Prairie Water Resources (PDF - 7.1 mb) - RealVideo
  » Henry David Venema, Director, Sustainable Natural Resources Management, International Institute for Sustainable Development The objective of this study is to gain an integrated perspective on water quality and quantity vulnerabilities across the Canadian prairie provinces. We use environmental indicator methods and GIS techniques to rank and map water quality, water use, and water availability and their compounding effects across the prairie agro-region. A composite index identifies "hotspot" areas of concern with high cumulative stresses. We then compare the hotspot analysis with parallel geographic analyses of water conservation practice, and water conservation policies to illustrate where integrated water resources management will be a policy priority.

Symposium Dinner Presentation

• Lake Winnipeg Implementation Committee - RealVideo
  » Terry Duguid and Norm Brandson, Co-Chairs Duguid and Brandson reported on their work together to help the federal and provincial governments better understand how they might implement lasting solutions to addressing Lake Winnipeg water quality.
  
  There are many examples of progress throughout the Lake Winnipeg watershed, but resources, more political support, private help and the commitment of all Manitobans (and ultimately, all watershed residents) will be required. In many cases, we know the "what," we just need to figure out the "how." The Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board's report is one starting point, and there others which all need to be considered. An advisory committee comprised of several stakeholders is assisting Duguid and Brandson; their report should be ready later in 2005.

Watershed Governance at Multiple Scales

• Session Chairperson - Opening Remarks - RealVideo
  » Ian Campbell, Senior Project Director, Policy Research Initiative Campbell reported on water policy research conducted by the Federal Privy Council Office, Policy Research Initiative (PRI). Project areas include: water demand management, pollution control (water quality trading between municipalities and farmers), integrated landscape and watershed management, and watershed governance. The PRI plays a research role in exploring emerging concepts which may be considered for future program activity by other arms of government.

• A Prairie River: Challenges and Opportunities (PPT - 42.6 mb) - RealVideo
  » Susan Lamb, CEO, Meewasin Valley Authority Meewasin is a conservation agency responsible for about 80 km of South Saskatchewan River valley in and around Saskatoon and the R.M. of Corman Park. A partnership of the City of Saskatoon, the Province of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan, we provide stewardship of this important riverine resource.
  
  Meewasin has a 100-year plan that provides guidance as we make decisions about conserving, developing and educating people about the valley. Our projects range from using sheep to manage grassland, to providing interpretive programs for children, to a multi-million dollar redevelopment of the riverfront in downtown Saskatoon. Meewasin manages the Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin, a stewardship organization for the Saskatchewan River basin from its origins in the Rockies to its final destination in Hudson Bay.

• Prairie Water Strategies: Innovations and Challenges in Strategic and Coordinated Action (PPT - 1.5 mb) - RealVideo
  » Darren Swanson, Project Manager, International Institute for Sustainable Development Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have each articulated a water resources management strategy to help address challenges within their provincial jurisdiction. Additionally, the inter-provincial allocation of water is being managed through the Prairie Provinces Water Board, a federal-provincial partnership. Other individual watershed groups are also playing local and regional planning and management roles.
  
  Each jurisdiction is currently grappling with the inherent challenges of this process including leadership, planning, implementation, monitoring, learning and adapting, multi-level coordination and participation. This synthesis report provides an in depth study of the common challenges and innovations in these aspects of water management and the findings constitute a pragmatic toolbox.

• Indigenous Peoples and Watershed Management: A Discussion of Rights, Interests and Interesting Approaches (PPT - 136 kb) - RealVideo
  » Merrell-Ann Phare, Executive Director/Legal Counsel, Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources Effective and meaningful governance of watersheds involves numerous jurisdictions and their decision-makers, including Indigenous peoples and their governing structures. Achieving cooperation between these jurisdictions is often confounded by the evolving state of recognition of Indigenous governance rights, the relative lack of environment-related Indigenous governance institutions and lack of consensus among watershed governance participants as to the long-term vision for the watershed. This presentation will outline key challenges faced by Indigenous peoples when participating in watershed governance, including policy voids that hinder their involvement, and will suggest possibilities for future cooperative effort.

• Prairie Water Partnerships in Governance (PPT - 5.5 mb) - RealVideo
  » Phil Adkins, Acting Manager of Ag-Water Directorate, AAFC-PFRA The governance of water on the prairies is driven by necessity in the semi-arid agricultural regions where the human population places high demands on a limited resource. The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), as a federal agency with prairie regional responsibilities, has worked in partnership with the three prairie provinces, in a non-regulatory resource care/developmental role since 1935. One of the highlights of water governance on the prairies is the Prairie Provinces Water Board (PPWB) which was established in 1948. The Board is made up of representatives from each province, Environment Canada and PFRA.
  
  There is a gap in our institutional framework to address the strong interdependence between water and agriculture. Employing the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management will help address this gap, and be important to overall prairie water governance, as we adapt to increasing climate variability and its affects.

• Transboundary Watershed Governance: Experiences of the Red River Basin Commission (PPT - 23.3 mb) - RealVideo
  » Lance Yohe, Executive Director, Red River Basin Commission The Red River Basin is a unique geographic area drained by the Red River of the North flowing from the United States into Canada. Multiple state and provincial boundaries as well as the international boundary create complexities for basin watershed strategies.
  
  There have been numerous efforts to address transboundary watershed governance issues in the Red River Basin. Some efforts have been within the framework of the two countries and other efforts have focused on the transboundary international issues.
  
  Working across all of the boundaries is essential to develop and implement a Red River Basin vision for the future. The Red River Basin Commission (RRBC) has been formed to work cooperatively across all of the boundaries with all levels of government. The RRBC Mission is to create a comprehensive integrated basin-wide vision; to build consensus and commitment to the vision; and to speak with a unified voice for the Red River Basin.
  
  To accomplish this mission, the RRBC has developed a Red River Basin (RRB) Natural Resource Framework Plan (NRFP). The NRFP has 13 basin-wide goals that become real in the "Action Agenda" where activities in the basin become the tools that help achieve the vision. In the RRBC experience, governance becomes a function of those who are doing things today and success a function of everyone working to achieve the same overall goals for the benefit of this and the next generation.

Integrating Best Practices

• Session Chairperson - Opening Remarks - RealVideo
  » Rick Findlay, Director, Water Programme, Pollution Probe Findlay reviewed the origins and activities of Pollution Probe, highlighting recent work on a primer on watershed management communications and a comprehensive report on children and the environment.

• Manitoba Water Strategy - RealVideo
  » Hon. Steve Ashton, Minister of Manitoba Water Stewardship

• Saskatchewan Safe Drinking Water Strategy - RealVideo
  » Hon. David Forbes, Minister of Environment and Minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority

• Alberta's Strategy for Sustainability (PPT - 220 kb) - RealVideo
  » Beverly Yee, Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Environment Alberta's quality of life, and life itself, depends on having a healthy and sustainable water supply for the environment, for our communities and for our economic well-being.
  
  The Government of Alberta is committed to the wise management of Alberta's water quantity and quality for the benefit of Albertans now and in the future.
  
  Water for Life: Alberta's Strategy for Sustainability is our response to develop a new water management approach and outline specific strategies and actions to address the province's water issues.

• Watershed Evaluation of Beneficial Management Practices Across Canada (PPT - 25.2 mb) - RealVideo
  » Brook Harker, Manager, WEBs Project, AAFC-PFRA The WEBs project is an AAFC-led initiative that seeks to quantify at a micro-watershed scale (~300ha), the relative environmental and economic performance of site-specific "Beneficial Management Practices" (BMPs), at seven regional locations across Canada. The four-year study is geared to facilitate multi-agency involvement and cooperation within WEBs project sites. In this discussion we will first undertake a brief overview of the scope of the project (nationally and regionally), then focus on linkages to other APF programs such as NAHARP, NALS, NLWIS and Census/FEMs; as well as our relationship to companion studies such as the Conservation Effects Assessment Program (CEAP) within the USDA. We will also examine how WEBs results might be transferable to ag policy and on-farm applications through an integrated modelling process.

• Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture and Water Quality: A Tri-National Collaborative Initiative (PPT - 205 kb) - RealVideo
  » Tim Marta, Associate Director, AAFC-Agri-Environmental Policy Bureau The Tri-National Collaborative Initiative on Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture and Water Quality originated from an informal agreement between the Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and his counterparts from Mexico and the United States of America to hold a Tri-National Workshop, in Canada, in October 2003. Three Tri-National Working Groups were established to collaborate in the areas of Policy Instruments, Program Delivery (focused on Beneficial Management Practices), and Research and Information relative to environmentally sustainable agriculture and water quality. The work consists of sharing national information and conducting tri-national analysis for the three subject areas. The presentation will review the development, processes, mechanisms and expected results of the Initiative.

• Best Practices: Australia (PPT - 8.7 mb) - RealVideo
  » Jim Robinson, Associate Professor, University of Waterloo Australia, the driest inhabited continent, has been experiencing more severe droughts than anticipated based on historical records. Towns and cities all have supply reservoirs that are completely dry or are at lower levels than ever experienced. The policy and program approaches and responses to this are varied. Melbourne has been quite proactive in developing a Water Resources Strategy that effectively provides for significant population growth supported by water use reductions by existing customers. Other areas are considering supply options that can be developed to meet or stave off the crisis. A selection of cases and their anticipated resolution will be discussed, along with suggestions of lessons we might learn.

Luncheon Presentation

• Address to the Prairie Water Policy Symposium - RealVideo
  » Lloyd Axworthy, President, University of Winnipeg Axworthy suggested Canada's water policy debate is lacking a meaningful narrative for political action. There is no clear rationale or direction for politicians to find real solutions. Until the challenge and its solutions become clear, there will be no fundamental policy transformations; what is the political "tipping point" for watershed management solutions or saving Lake Winnipeg?

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