Welcome to the Fall 2024 edition of News Splash. I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable summer, swimming in one of Canada’s many lakes, rivers or oceans. Like many Canadians, I was inspired by our outstanding Olympic and Paralympic swimming team, especially the riveting performances by Summer MacIntosh, Josh Liendo and Aurelie Rivard in their events. A big shoutout to all athletes who competed representing Canada at the Paris Olympics and Para Olympics.

While summer should be associated with laying on the beach and soaking up the rays, some were not so fortunate. Our hearts go out to the residents and business owners in Jasper, Alberta who saw their town ravaged by wildfires due to dry conditions. Hundreds of wildfires affected Canadians and wildlife this summer, although conditions were not as dire overall as record-breaking 2023. Still, learning to cope with prolonged drought and the resulting annual wildfires has become a part of Canadians’ lives in some regions.

In this edition of News Splash, we spotlight the ongoing revolution in toxicity testing of chemicals in water, which could fundamentally alter how chemicals are assessed and regulated in Canada. I interviewed Dr. Niladri Basu of McGill University. He explained how advances in microbiology and genomics enable us to detect the effects of toxic chemicals in humans and animals much earlier stage than the traditional method that is based on the ultimate endpoint mortality. Check out the thought leader interview for insights from Dr. Basu. Canadian Water Network (CWN) also hosted a business forum on the same subject with Dr. Basu and Dr. Milou Dingemans of KWR at the International Water Association’s (IWA) World Water Congress and Exhibition. Check out the recording on our website.

Also, check out our featured water leader, Gen Nielsen, who is the director of water facilities and treatment services at the City of Ottawa. During the interview, she talks about the changes she’s observed during her career in the water industry. Gen also talks about three emerging trends in the water sector that managers should look out for.

We are grateful to the federal agencies who have contributed news on the Canada Water Agency and consultations on science priorities, among other updates.

This past August, many of us on the CWN team participated actively in panels, business forums, the Exhibition Hall, and social events throughout the IWA’s World Water Congress and Exhibition in Toronto. You can find links to some of the presentations on our website. Thank you to the IWA, Toronto Water, and Canadian Water and Wastewater Association’s team for co-hosting the conference.

Concurrent with the conference, I was thrilled to accept an award from Water Canada on behalf of CWN and the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease for our Wastewater Surveillance program. You can find more details in our program updates.

I am delighted to welcome three new members to CWN’s Board of Directors: Derrick Cheung, CEO of Defence Construction Canada, Stéphanie Allard, an urban planner and owner of Agence Nexa Inc., and Sophie Gagné-Landmann, a litigation lawyer with the federal Department of Justice. They each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the board. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Andrew Farr, commissioner of public works at the Region of Halton, for his service on the Board.

I am also very pleased to announce two new CWN team members, Tracy Patterson and Laura Fiore, who serve as project managers in our water and climate program area. We also bid a fond farewell to Alicia Wang, our co-op student who spent the summer conducting an audience analysis for CWN. Thank you to all who participated in her survey and interviews. Her insights will be invaluable in shaping our communications and offerings.

On that note, please share your thoughts with us on this newsletter, our website, our activities, or on water challenges of interest to you. We always welcome our readers’ feedback.

I wish you all a colourful Fall season.

Yours in water,

Nicola