In March 2024, Canadian Water Network (CWN) convened the second meeting of the stormwater management Strategic Sharing Group. Eighteen leaders from 11 water utilities heard from the City of Calgary about its 2023 Stormwater Strategy. Frank Frigo highlighted that the strategy rests on four pillars: fostering community resilience, ensuring proactive asset operation and maintenance, adopting low-impact and green stormwater [...]

Canadian Water Network (CWN) interviewed Peter Gleick, author of The Three Ages of Water: Prehistoric Past, Imperiled Present, and a Hope for the Future. What prompted you to write your book The Three Ages of Water? I've worked on water issues my entire career. With the Pacific Institute, we’ve been looking at water and sustainability, water and climate, water [...]

Over the past two decades process intensification has emerged as a major trend in wastewater treatment and is the key to sustainable wastewater treatment. It is smaller, cleaner, safer and more energy-efficient than conventional treatment. So, what exactly is process intensification, and why is there so much focus on it today? Is it just a fad? Or is it the [...]

The Government of Canada is investing $59.6 million over five years to amplify and expedite research initiatives that will help ensure communities have the knowledge and guidance needed to adapt to climate change impacts. “The research and data delivered through this investment will strengthen communities and help them better protect the homes, businesses and livelihoods of their residents from [...]

By Terry Duguid, parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister and special advisor for water There are few things more important to life than clean water. With 20 percent of the world’s freshwater and more inland water than any other country, Canada’s freshwater is both a tremendous responsibility and essential resource. Unfortunately, many lakes and rivers across the country have [...]

The Government of Canada created the Canada Water Agency within Environment and Climate Change Canada in June 2023 with a mandate to improve freshwater management by providing leadership, effective collaboration federally, and improved coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples to address freshwater challenges and opportunities. The Government of Canada introduced legislation in November 2023 to create a [...]

Over the past year, we’ve been working with the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID) to facilitate a peer learning program that builds knowledge and resources for effectively interpreting and communicating wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) data across Canada. The program’s inaugural phase commenced in April 2023 and concludes in March 2024. During this period, it actively involved 28 public [...]

Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) Wastewater-Based Surveillance (WBS) Program, facilitated jointly with the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease (NCCID), is nearing the end of its first year. With that come some exciting accomplishments. Two streams of Strategic Sharing Groups (SSG) have been completed. One SSG focused on communication and interpretation of WBS data, and the other SSG focused on [...]

Canadian Water Network (CWN) made progress on several climate-related initiatives in the first quarter of 2024. These initiatives include a project that examines climate impacts, water availability and agricultural activity in the Prairies. Advancing research on climate impacts: A landmark two-year project is being undertaken by CWN in partnership with ClimateWest and the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC). This project, [...]

We are pleased to present the latest update from Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) Canadian Municipal Water Consortium, a national network of utility leaders who share a common goal of advancing municipal water management. Welcoming new members We’re thrilled to announce the addition of two new members: the City of Waterloo and the City of Winnipeg. These municipalities join our [...]

Welcome to the World Water Week edition of News Splash. This year, the United Nations (UN) is launching a 'Water for Peace' campaign as part of the World Water Day celebrations. The UN recognizes that access to safe water can bring peace and prosperity, whereas a lack of access can be the source of conflict, loss of livelihood and [...]

Canadian Water Network (CWN) and GHD invite you to a webinar that asks: how will the water sector in Canada adapt to a changing climate? The water sector faces many challenges with integrating climate adaptation into long-term planning and decision-making. Deep uncertainty associated with climate change or complex socio-political realities constrains decision-making, causing paralysis and inaction. Existing planning approaches [...]

Xylem, one of Canadian Water Network’s (CWN) Innovation Partners, recently hosted a panel discussion on digital roadmapping in water utilities. Industry leaders participated in a dialogue about what it means to “digitally transform” a utility. This includes presenting current definitions and frameworks, highlighting successful examples, and sharing a peek into the digital future. The panel members included Tim Braun [...]

Canadian Water Network (CWN) recently brought together 19 utilities for the second data Strategic Sharing Group meeting. This group brings together members of CWN’s Canadian Municipal Water Consortium to explore approaches to advancing digital transformation through a water lens. Building on conversations from the October kickoff meeting, members heard from Halifax Water about its ambitious five-year data roadmap. Members [...]

We are pleased to announce that the City of Waterloo and the City of Winnipeg have joined the Canadian Municipal Water Consortium's Leadership Group. The Canadian Municipal Water Consortium is a network of utility leaders who advance municipal water management across Canada. Its Leadership Group, composed of 26 large and progressive utilities, enables senior leaders to discuss key issues, [...]

We’re excited to share that Canadian Water Network is partnering with the Canadian Institute of Planners to deliver the Summer 2024 issue of Plan Canada, Canada’s national planning magazine. The Summer 2024 issue will focus on integrated planning in support of water management. Here is your opportunity to showcase the work you're doing in collaboration with your urban planning [...]

Canadian Water Network (CWN) brought together 18 leaders from nine progressive water utilities to kick off a Strategic Sharing Group focused on increasing climate resilience through stormwater management. CWN’s Strategic Sharing Groups convene thought leaders to share knowledge on emerging issues. As Canada experiences more frequent extreme weather events, municipalities and utilities are struggling to build and maintain infrastructure [...]

Hot off the press! We’re excited to share CWN’s 2023 annual report with you. The report’s theme, Moving Forward Together, captures the essence of CWN’s approach. The water-related challenges we currently face, and those on the horizon, are too complex to tackle alone. CWN creates and curates spaces for decision-makers to work collaboratively across disciplines, across sectors and across [...]

At CWN, our collaboration with the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID) is instrumental in empowering public health practitioners through our Wastewater-based Surveillance (WBS) Program. This initiative supports peer learning and knowledge sharing for public health practitioners, particularly when it comes to communicating and interpreting WBS data. Webinar on wastewater-based surveillance In September, program participants and a wider [...]

We are pleased to present the latest update from CWN’s Canadian Municipal Water Consortium, a national network of utility leaders who share a common goal of advancing municipal water management.Fall Consortium Leadership Group meeting highlightsThe Consortium Leadership Group convened in Toronto ahead of Blue Cities in October. Close to 30 leaders representing 15 municipalities and utilities from across Canada gathered [...]

We had an opportunity to connect with Don Iveson, former mayor of Edmonton and co-chair of the Taskforce on Climate and Housing. He shares his thought leadership on Canada’s colliding crises, the housing crisis and the climate crisis, and shows a positive way forward. You co-chair the Taskforce on Climate and Housing with Lisa Raitt. Can you tell me [...]

Through our water and climate program area, we’re undertaking a two-year project to understand the impact of climate change on water availability across the Canadian Prairies. This project is being undertaken in collaboration with our partners ClimateWest and Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC), and support from the RBC Foundation through RBC Tech for Nature. Our project aims to provide [...]

At the recent Blue Cities conference in Toronto, which typically focuses on water utility concerns, Canadian Water Network extended invitations to individuals from the public health sphere. This infusion led to new health-related topics, such as increased wastewater surveillance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The extensive spread of COVID-19 demanded immediate action from public health officials, scientists [...]

The Government of Canada is making the regulatory process for navigable waters easier and more efficient in response to requests made by local communities. More specifically, the process for asking the federal government to restrict the use of boats on lakes and rivers is being streamlined for all orders of government. The announcement was made by National Revenue Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, [...]

After a three-year hiatus, CWN's flagship Blue Cities 2023 conference was bigger and better than ever. Drawing 200 participants from across Canada, the event unfolded at the Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto. The conference focused on topics related to municipal water management and public health protection. Notably, 70 percent of Blue Cities attendees held pivotal decision-making roles. Half of [...]