Impact Stories

Alt text: A serene waterfall cascades over a rocky cliff into a clear stream surrounded by lush green forest and moss-covered rocks, creating a tranquil and picturesque nature scene. / Une chute deau sereine dévale une falaise rocheuse dans un ruisseau limpide entouré dune forêt verdoyante et de rochers couverts de mousse, créant une scène naturelle paisible et pittoresque.

Learning from failure: our project on watershed entities and plans

Projects never go quite as planned, even in the best of times. And virtually nothing went as planned in 2020. But even projects that don’t hit their deliverables, that fizzle out, that ultimately end in failure, can be rich learning experiences. In early 2020, Our Living Waters and the Forum for Leadership on Water embarked on […]

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Alt text: People enjoying a sunny day at a beach area, some swimming in the water, others relaxing on the pebble shore. The scene includes a pier, lifebuoys, and distant greenery under a clear blue sky. / Des gens profitent dune journée ensoleillée sur une plage; certains nagent dans leau tandis que dautres se détendent sur le rivage de galets. La scène comprend un quai, des bouées de sauvetage et une végétation lointaine sous un ciel bleu clair.

Training a Team of Sewage Investigators

Swim Drink Fish Canada has been engaging the public in education and advocacy, raising awareness about combined sewer overflows for almost 20 years.  During the unprecedented summer of 2020, those seeking respite gathered at beaches across Canada to find solace in their home waterbodies. Travel restrictions meant many people were exploring their local waters, some

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Alt Text: A city skyline at sunset with tall buildings reflecting sunlight. The scene includes a river in the foreground, green spaces, and a clear sky above.

Canadian French Translation: Une ligne dhorizon urbaine au coucher du soleil avec de hauts bâtiments reflétant la lumière du soleil. La scène comprend une rivière au premier plan, des espaces verts et un ciel dégagé au-dessus.

A Green Infrastructure Community of Practice Envisions ‘Living Cities’ Across Canada

Green infrastructure has been an Our Living Waters Network priority issue for the past several years. In response, the Our Living Waters 2030 Fund has provided ongoing funding to a team that works to advance local action on green infrastructure.  Green infrastructure has been an Our Living Waters Network priority issue for the past several years. In

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Alt text: People walking along a rocky stream in a forested area. A yellow sign on the right warns about a scientific study in progress and the presence of endangered Atlantic salmon, asking people not to disturb the area. / Des personnes marchent le long dun ruisseau rocailleux dans une zone boisée. Un panneau jaune à droite avertit quune étude scientifique est en cours et signale la présence de saumons atlantiques en danger, demandant aux gens de ne pas perturber la zone.

Groundtruthing and filling water data gaps in Atlantic Canada

Image above: The Portapique River in Nova Scotia where salmon eggs have been introduced in-stream to increase the population of endangered Inner Bay of Fundy (iBoF) Atlantic Salmon. The Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council (MAPC) are monitoring water quality to identify areas of habitat concern for this culturally and environmentally significant species. Photo by Aislin Livingstone

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Alt Text: A group of diverse hands cupping together over water, with droplets falling into the lake below. The hands are close, symbolizing unity and cooperation. / Un groupe de mains diverses accolées ensemble au-dessus de leau, avec des gouttelettes tombant dans le lac en dessous. Les mains sont proches, symbolisant lunité et la coopération.

Our Collective Vision for the Canada Water Agency: A Joint Submission

The government of Canada is creating a new Canada Water Agency and, as is often the nature of such emerging institutions, the details of what it will be are not yet known. Here is a quick outline of the process to date: First announced in the Liberal Party of Canada’s 2019 election platform, the CWA

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Alt text: A misty landscape featuring lush green forests, a rocky riverbed in the foreground, and a mountain partially obscured by low clouds. Waterfalls cascade down the slopes, blending into the cloudy sky. / Un paysage brumeux mettant en scène des forêts verdoyantes luxuriantes, un lit de rivière rocheux au premier plan et une montagne partiellement cachée par des nuages bas. Des cascades dévalent les pentes, se fondant dans le ciel nuageux.

Empowering communities through open access to water data in the Columbia Basin

An open-source database now makes critical water data readily available for water stewardship groups and decision-makers in the Upper (Canadian side) Columbia Basin! The recently launched Columbia Basin Water Hub acts as a central repository for water-related data relevant to the region. Water datasets collected by community water monitoring groups are now available to support decision-makers who

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Alt text: A child in a red and white striped sweater walks along a wooden boardwalk through tall grass toward a lake. The background features a hilly landscape with autumn-colored trees under a partly cloudy sky. / Un enfant portant un chandail à rayures rouges et blanches marche sur une promenade en bois à travers de hautes herbes vers un lac. À larrière-plan, un paysage vallonné avec des arbres aux couleurs dautomne sous un ciel partiellement nuageux.

Community-based Water Monitoring & the Canada Water Agency

Calling all community-based water monitoring supporters: A coalition of Community-Based Water Monitoring (CBWM) leaders from across the country has been working to raise the profile of CBWM in Canada and advocate for its credibility on the federal stage. CBWM programs provide vital, complementary data that can fill gaps in the federal government’s data collection. That is if the

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**Alt text:** Two people sit on a dock, embracing and gazing at a serene lake surrounded by mountains. The sky is overcast, and the water reflects the dramatic landscape, creating a peaceful scene. / Deux personnes sont assises sur un quai, s’enlaçant et regardant un lac serein entouré de montagnes. Le ciel est couvert, et leau reflète le paysage dramatique, créant une scène paisible.

Funding Water Projects Across Canada Virtual Gathering

Over 50 freshwater champions registered for our November 19, 2020 virtual gathering to discuss the topic of Funding Water Projects Across Canada. We had a great turnout! We gathered to find the answer to a thought-provoking question: Is there a desire from the freshwater community to collectively call on the federal government to better fund water projects right

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Alt text: View of Ottawas Parliament Hill with the iconic clock tower, alongside the Rideau Canal featuring boats and surrounded by trees under a partly cloudy sky. / Vue de la Colline du Parlement dOttawa avec lemblématique tour de lhorloge, le long du canal Rideau avec des bateaux, entouré darbres sous un ciel partiellement nuageux.

Driving federal action in support of water data and community based monitoring

What does it take to trigger implementation of recommendations posed to the Federal government? For the past nine months the Federal Water Strategy Team has been meeting to explore exactly that. In late 2018, the National Roundtable on Community Based Water Monitoring released a collaborative report with detailed recommendations on how the federal government could advance community

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