Canadian Water Network (CWN) convened the 2024 Fall Consortium Leaders Group (CLG) meeting in Montreal from October 24-25. This gathering, which occurs twice a year, provides senior leaders in the water sector with a platform to exchange insights about pressing challenges and to foster a peer network with water utilities across the country.  

The Fall meeting, co-hosted by the City of Montreal, brought together about 40 municipal leaders representing 25 utilities from coast to coast. The agenda was centred around risk communication concerning emergency preparedness, financial planning, asset management and innovative practices. These discussions highlighted the different ways in which water leaders can communicate internally and externally during challenging times to build trust and transparency with the public and elected officials. The role of proactive communication with strategic storytelling, risk awareness and various public engagement strategies was discussed in breakout sessions, where participants shared innovative ideas and practices in reaching the intended audience to best align expectations between water utilities and stakeholders. Participants engaged in rich and extensive dialogues on under-investment in municipal water infrastructure, increasing the visibility of water utilities, risk tolerance and escalating construction costs. 

One of the meeting highlights was the CLG visiting the City of Montreal’s Place des Fleurs-de-Macadam, a sponge park within the city that was completed in 2022. The site has an immersive rain fountain and provides space for recreational activities, while managing stormwater from surrounding areas during extreme events. 

Thank you to the Canadian Municipal Water Consortium, StrategyCorp and AquaAction for sponsoring this meeting.