The OBWB hosted a webinar series in late 2021 to support the launch of the Source Water Protection Toolkit.
The webinars ran for nine consecutive weeks and featured more than 30 speakers. Webinar recordings are provided below.
Source Water Protection: Steps and Tools
An introduction to OBWB’s new Source Water Protection Toolkit by three experts involved in its development. Includes an overview of the toolkit, how to use it in your community, five steps in the source protection planning process, and key actions for drinking water source protection.
Panelists:
- Kellie Garcia (OBWB)
- Heather Larratt (Larratt Aquatic Consulting Ltd.)
- Robert Birtles (Interior Health)
Shared challenges, shared opportunities: transcending jurisdiction through partnerships
Members of two technical advisory committees discuss how people are working together across jurisdictions, sectors, departments and geographic areas to bring cumulative source protection benefits to their regions.
Panelists:
- Tricia Brett (Regional District of North Okanagan)
- Ian McLellan (Okanagan Recreation District)
- Rob Dinwoodie (FLNRORD)
- Jamie Skinner (Tolko Industries)
- Julie Pisani (Regional District of Nanaimo)
- Jessica Doyle (FLNRORD)
- Mike Squire (City of Nanaimo)
- Pam Jorgenson (Mosaic Forest Management)
Working together to protect water: learning from indigenous-led partnerships and projects
This webinar provides an overview of two Indigenous-led partnerships that are protecting watersheds and advancing habitat restoration and recovery.
Panelists:
- Michael Bezener (En’owkin Centre)
- Maryssa Bonneau (Penticton Indian Band)
- Wendy Hawkes (Penticton Indian Band)
- Shannon Waters (Vancouver Island Health Authority)
Increasing awareness and stewardship of watersheds and drinking water resources
Panelists from the Government of Ontario, Conservation Ontario, and regional Conservation Authorities talk about how to deliver coordinated and consistent source water protection education and outreach.
Panelists:
- Beth Forrest (Government of Ontario)
- Jo-Anne Rzadki (Conservation Ontario)
- Madison Keegans (Conservation Sudbury)
- Martin Keller (Grand River Conservation Authority)
- Mary Lynn MacDonald (Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority)
Advancing local government policies, plans and regulations to protect water sources
A legal expert and a utility planning manager speak about how local governments can integrate source water protection with other ecological/green infrastructure policy and regulation approaches.
Panelists:
- Deborah Curran (UVic Environmental Law Centre)
- Rod McLean (City of Kelowna)
Securing long-term funding for source water protection
Panelists share innovative approaches to obtaining or generating funding for projects that protect and improve source waters.
Panelists:
- Brianne Czypyha (City of Victoria)
- Neil Fletcher (BC Wildlife Federation)
Protecting ecosystems to improve the health of watersheds and aquifers
Three organizations share how they are using nature-based planning and natural asset management to protect watersheds.
Panelists:
- Don Ford (Toronto and Region Conservation Authority)
- Kris La Rose (Comox Valley Regional District)
- Kendra Norwood (West Kootenay EcoSociety)
Using mapping to understand risks to drinking water
Panelists from government, academia, and consulting who use mapping to understand risks to source waters at multiple spatial scales share their experiences and discuss how to access and use publicly available geospatial data for source water protection.
Panelists:
- Mathieu Bourbonnais (UBC Okanagan)
- Brian Kielstra (Natural Resources Canada)
- Jamie Self (Larratt Aquatic Consulting Ltd.)
Monitoring and reporting for source water protection
Panelists share key elements of a data collection and monitoring programs for source protection and provide a look at an initiative that is making water data readily available to those who need it.
Panelists:
- Paige Thurston (Living Lakes Canada)
- Heather Larratt (Larratt Aquatic Consulting Ltd.)
