Conference season has certainly begun and it seems I’ll be on the road for a full three months. WEAO and OWWA in Ontario, BCWWA, CWN’s Blue Cities, AWWA and the Canadian Water Summit. In the middle of all that is a unique event that has been CWWA’s signature event for over 30 years. The Window on Ottawa, June 5th and 6th, stands apart from the rest for its specific focus on federal legislation and policy.
I always describe this event as "Everything you ever wanted to know about water at the national level and were afraid to ask.” It doesn’t attract a huge crowd, but that makes the sessions more intimate and builds the calibre of discussion. The "Window” in set up as a plenary session where delegates stay in one room and we invite key federal policy makers to present on what is happening in their federal department or agency. We add leaders from other national organizations to create a national dialogue on national policy. The sessions also allow for questions and participation from the delegates. And if you don’t want to ask your question from the plenary floor, you can meet face-to-face with the speakers following each session in our post-session discussion room.
We also see the "Window” as an educational event that is forward looking. We don’t talk as much about what is happening or has happened as we talk about what is being planned. Attending the Window gives you a genuine look into the future, what is being considered and how polices are being developed, years in advance of the public announcements and roll out. This is a chance for us, the water sector professionals, to provide critical input to these policies.
Then we all come back together as a national association in Montreal for the National Water & Wastewater Conference. So mark your calendars now for November 4th to 7th. We have received an amazing number of presentation proposals and the task of finalizing the program is underway. We’ll let you know when it’s up on the website.
Canadian Water and Wastewater Association