I know I wrote about the Window on Ottawa last month, but I was challenged with a heavy question about the event this week that really called on us to sit back and think.

One of my jobs as the executive director, is to run a financially-sound organization. We are not a ‘business’, but we do have to keep some business principles in place.  So it’s reasonable that we look at the revenues versus expenses for our activities and the overall value to our association.  CWWA is working with a new event management partner to help us plan and deliver our national events.  As we near this year’s Window on Ottawa, and we worry about the potential for low registration, they had to ask, “is the Window worthwhile?’, “should we continue hosting this event?”   

CWWA’s Security and Emergency Management Committee held a teleconference with its members on February 23. 

 The agenda addressed the following points of interest:

Update on the Water Sector Resilience Project 
(Adrian Toth provided members with a summary of the successful work undertaken by members of the Security Committee in collaboration with Dalhousie University and Public Safety Canada to produce a Risk Profile for the Canadian water sector as well as a roadmap for improvement. The yearlong study to understand how water and wastewater operators perceive risks was conducted by Dalhousie University with water utility operators and regulators, members of CWWA

We're continuing to spot CWWA hats around the country and the world. Recently our hats made the trip to Alaska for WEFMAX meetings.

The Call for Presentations for our National Water and Wastewater Conference is now closed, and our Program Technical Committee will be beginning the hard work of assessing the submissions and building the program.

We anticipate having a draft program, registration and our exhibitor and sponsor packages all available by early to mid June!

CWWA and CAWQ, who together form the IWA’s Canadian National Committee, were recognized recently by Toronto Tourism for their leadership in winning the bid to bring the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition to Toronto in 2022. The three received the Leaders Circle Award for their two year efforts to submit and win the bid.

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (SCOFO) has begun its study of Bill C-68: An Act to Amend the Fisheries Act and other Acts in consequence. Bill C-68 will restore many of the protections to fish habitat that were weakened in 2012 amendments to the Fisheries Act. The Bill was given Second Reading on April 14, 2018 and referred to committee. 

The proposed guideline technical document on strontium in drinking water is available for public comment. This guideline technical document reviews and assesses all identified health risks associated with strontium in drinking water.

The Government of Canada’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) is a 10-year, $2 billion national program designed to help communities better withstand current and future risks of natural hazards. DMAF will support large-scale infrastructure projects with a minimum cost of $20 million.DMAF will support changing and reinforcing existing public infrastructure, as well as building new public infrastructure including natural infrastructure, like wetlands, or built infrastructure, dams or dikes, to help address climate risks and protect communities from natural disasters.Projects funded through DMAF will be completed by 2027-28.

The Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) recently announced an invitation for members to participate in a new CNAM Program - Money For Municipalities. Money For Municipalities is a CNAM Member Benefit Program to help Canadian municipalities improve their access to government grants and incentives.

CWWA Member Barry Orr was recently interviewed on CBC radio about the City`s Your Turn intiative which provides households with biodegradable cups to properly dispose of their own fats, oils and greases

The Ontario government has updated two aspects of its drinking water legislation. Both amendments relate to the provinces efforts to improve watershed and source protection.

Water Canada Magazine

Over the past four years, the Government of New Brunswick has launched a number of major climate change focused initiatives, including a discussion guide on Building a Stronger New Brunswick Response to Climate Change, a Select Committee on Climate Change, and a Climate Change Action Plan, and the Climate Change Act 2016. It seems that climate change is being taken seriously and has finally become a major policy discussion in the province.

Water Canada Magazine

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Jim Carr, unveiled a nationwide contest for Canada’s aspiring female cleantech entrepreneurs this week.

Delivered in collaboration with MaRS Discovery District, the challenge will provide five women $115,000 a year for 2.5 years for living and travel expenses and one grand prize winner will receive $1 million to develop their idea into a marketable solution.

Water Canada

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has released a report detailing the important contribution rural municipalities make and outlining the challenges these communities face. This includes challenges in providing adequate, long-term access to water and wastewater service that meet human and environmental needs.

Water Canada

The Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir (SR1), a flood-mitigation project to protect Calgary from a 2013-level flood, has been certified by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) as conforming to the agency’s guidelines. Now the project has entered the final, one-year regulatory approval process.