Protecting Watersheds in the 21st Century

Earlier this month, the DataStream team travelled to Fredericton, New Brunswick to take part in the annual  Canadian Environmental Grantmakers Network  (CEGN) conference. During the event various important discussions were had on a wide array of topics including reforming Canada’s environmental laws, reconnecting with nature and protecting freshwater resources.

Bruce Anderson   of   Abacus Data   kicked off the conference with an introductory keynote, “Forging a Sustainable Future in Uncertain Times.” His opening remarks served as inspiration in the face of uncertainty and posed the question: “Are we, as environmentalists, facing headwinds or tailwinds?”

Bruce’s research indicates that despite these uncertain times, Canadians remain optimistic. Many believe we are in a unique position, with the opportunity to become an environmental leader and propel our country towards a more sustainable future.

During the event, Carolyn DuBois, Director of the Water Program at The Gordon Foundation co-presented with WWF Canada’s VP Freshwater,   Liz Hendriks   on “Protecting Watersheds in the 21st Century.” This speech focused on efforts to aggregate and better understand water quality data — issues that both Liz and Carolyn have worked on for years.

While Mackenzie DataStream has been aggregating and publishing data, WWF Canada has been working to understand what the data is telling us. This work culminated in the recent announcement of their   WWF Watershed Reports.

This hard work is indeed being noticed. In a speech at WWF’s   Healthy Waters Summit, the following week in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concerns regarding the lack of data. According to the   Winnipeg Free Press   the Prime Minister stated: