The fall is always a busy conference season…and long for those of you that do the whole circuit like me.  I am wrapping up at the Western Canada Water show in Saskatoon where we celebrated their 75th anniversary as a professional association serving the western provinces and the territories.  From Saskatoon, it’s a quick stop in Ottawa for FCM’s Big City Mayors Forum and then straight to Chicago for the massive WEFTEC show.  I’ll get a few days at home for Thanksgiving before I am off to the Atlantic Canada Water & Wastewater show in Charlottetown. I am happy to report that our regional association partners are all strong and surpassing pre-covid numbers. 

With an expected 400 delegates, the National Water and Wastewater Conference has become THE Utility Leadership event in Canada. Over the next few weeks we'll be spotlighting some of the great sessions we have planned. We've also updated our website with information on how to get to and from Niagara Falls and book your hotel room at our event venue, the Niagara Sheraton Fallsview.

Western Canada Water turned 75 this year, meaning they have served western Canada’s water professionals since 1948!  This great milestone was celebrated at their annual conference in Saskatoon in September and CWWA was proud to be part of it.

WaterISAC is hosting its second H2OSecCon - Surging Toward Safety & Security event next month, October 19 - 20! 

DFO has launched Wave 3 of it’s fish and habitat protection public consultation. Wave 3 Engagement is seeking input to continue modernizing and/or developing policies, frameworks, instruments, and guidance to further implement the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act.  The Wave 3 consultation will focus on 3 major areas:

• Offsetting Policy and Habitat Banking Guidelines
• New Interim Standard and Codes of Practice (including one for municipal and agricultural drain maintenance) and
• Framework for Aquatic Species at Risk Conservation

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has announced its intention to develop new rules governing the registration of stormwater management works under the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR). According to the government, the rules would, among other things:

• allow owners of certain stormwater management works to self-register on the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry;
• exempt some stormwater management works in residential areas from approval requirements;
• [remove] the need for, [limit], or [restrict] the types of policies to be included in source protection plans where a significant drinking water threat is being managed through registration on the EASR;
• allow for amendments to existing source protection plans without following the usual process;
• expand on the exemptions in Ontario Regulation 525/98 for low impact development (LID) works;
• add exemptions for drainage works for roadways and railways, including railway projects by Metrolinx that are not already captured under the Ontario Water Resources Act; and
• require proponents to identify whether [their] activity is a significant drinking water threat [and if so, a licensed engineering practitioner (LEP)] would be required to consider additional design measures and may need to consider other requirements, such as a monitoring plan.

ES&E Magazine

With a focus on sustainability and stewardship Bench is one of very few craft breweries to be both carbon neutral and a certified B-Corporation, joining a global group of companies that meet the highest standards of verified social and enviornmental performance.

Cybersecurity Dive

The White House is looking to add oversight capabilities to strengthen cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. The administration has been working with various cabinet agencies to bolster cybersecurity in water, rail, aviation, energy and other sectors.

Water Canada

More than 25 years ago, Orfeo Lucchese purchased a rural farm and woodlot property in Essex County, near Harrow, Ontario. With great effort and insightful vision, he transformed it into a vibrant forest, meadow and wetland sanctuary. Now, these restored ecosystems will be protected forever.

Water Canada

Prepare to kiss your grass goodbye, Calgary — that’s the message from a University of Calgary hydrologist, following a municipal order to restrict water use due to record-setting scarcity in local rivers.

With the Bow River at its lowest level since 1911 and the Elbow at a 23-year low, Dr. Tricia Stadnyk, P.Eng., says Calgary and other Alberta municipalities must accept we are entering an era where water is scarce and too precious to be wasted keeping non-native plants alive.

The Hill

Toxic “forever chemicals” have contaminated water systems around the nation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Thursday.

Those chemicals could affect the drinking water of 26 million people, an environmental advocacy organization called the Environmental Working Group estimated based on the new EPA data.

Peterborough has everything: a multitude of recreational opportunities, a diverse industrial, commercial and agricultural base, quality health care and excellent schools, including two post-secondary institutions.

Praher Plastics Canada Ltd. is a custom injection molding manufacturer with a proprietary valve line and is the only Thermoplastic Pressure Valve manufacturer in Canada. As a supplier to manufacturers and distributors across North America, Praher Plastics Canada Ltd. leverages the latest technologies to produce the highest quality valves and fittings for commercial and pool & spa applications. With more than 60 proud employees, Praher Plastics Canada Ltd. is a continuous innovator and industry leader in plastics processing.

Technologies Ecofixe specializes in biological wastewater treatment, designing and developing eco-friendly, energy-efficient, and economical solutions that optimize the treatment capacity of existing or future biological reactors. Our ECOFIXE and BIOFIXE solutions can be adapted to various installations such as aerated lagoons, sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), activated sludge, and more.