Three inaugural CWN awards were presented at Blue Cities to honour outstanding individuals who are shaping the future of water in Canada.

Pictured from left to right:

2025 RISING WAVE
Monica Bramley, Manager, Utility Project Development, City of Calgary

Monica’s leadership was pivotal when Calgary faced the Bearspaw South feedermain crisis. She was one of the first called on the night of the break and led the engineering planning team through months of emergency response. Her calm leadership, insight and commitment to integrated water planning signal a bright future for the sector.

2025 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT 
Carl Yates, Principal, Yates Water Management Inc. and Chair, CWN

A trailblazer in water governance, Carl’s 40-year career includes 25 years as General Manager of Halifax Water, where he led the integration of water, wastewater and stormwater services; the first utility of its kind in Canada. He also served as interim CEO of the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority, Canada’s first Indigenous water utility. Carl guided CWN through pivotal transitions as Board Chair (6 years) and Director (12 years).

2025 BLUE IMPACT 
Lou Di Gironimo, General Manager, Toronto Water

A trusted leader in the Canadian water sector for over 30 years, Lou has led Toronto Water since 2005, transforming one of North America’s largest utilities. Known for his strategic vision and collaborative leadership, Lou has built strong relationships across government and industry that have advanced water resilience across the country.

These three leaders exemplify the vision and action needed to build a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable water future.