An esteemed group of experts from across Canada is involved in the selection process for Water’s Next publications.
2012
Peter Adams recently graduated from McGill University with a Masters in Geography. His research brought him to India and Bangladesh, where he studied international management of shared river basins and tested new approaches to evaluating transboundary integrated water resource management institutions. He has studied and worked on five continents, including with the U.S. Peace Corps in China. He is currently working on a research project in the Canadian Arctic as a member of the Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Research Group at McGill.
Phillip Adsetts has 35 years experience developing business models for both public and private companies. His successes can be traced through family entertainment with Dufferin Games, women’s fashion with Danier Leather, consumer goods and services with Enbridge and, most recently, his 11-year tenure at the helm of Kinetico Canada. In all cases, he is obsessed with and has successfully constructed consumer centric brand strategies that have delivered an above average ROI for stakeholders.
Shelly Barnec leads collaboration, innovation and change in business and community. She is developing a project that builds capacity among water experts and stakeholders to co-operate in water stewardship. Shelly has held marketing positions in local, national and international companies and projects. She transitioned from business to community development as a human learning researcher and consultant helping clients evolve operations, and has designed both adult transformational leadership and youth social entrepreneurship programs.
Bill Borland is vice president, Canadian federal programs with AMEC Environment and Infrastructure in Saint John, New Brunswick. He sits on the board of ECO Canada (management committee) and Enovex Inc., and chaired the board of the Canadian Water Network for 10 years. Bill was a member of the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) and acts in an advisory capacity to NRTEE, the Networks of Centres of Excellence and NSERC.
Adam Chamberlain is a partner with the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and a member of the firm’s Environmental and Energy practices. Adam acts as Environmental Assessment and environmental approvals counsel on large infrastructure projects in the water, wastewater, energy and waste sectors and is active with environmental assessment processes for other types of projects as well. He is a Certified Specialist in the area of Environmental Law.
John Gamble is president and CEO of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC), an organization representing engineering firms across Canada. ACEC is the voice of the consulting engineering sector on business, public policy and regulatory issues. John is regarded as an authority and advocate on industry issues across Canada and internationally. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Queen’s University and spent the first 10 years of his career practicing environmental engineering.
Nancy Goucher is the program coordinator for Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW), a collaborative of water policy experts encouraging government action to protect Canada’s freshwater resources. She has a Master of Environmental Studies degree in Planning from the University of Waterloo. Nancy has published numerous articles on water management in Canada, including Seeking Water Justice: Strengthening Legal Protection of Canada’s Drinking Water, a report she co-authored with Randy Christensen of Ecojustice.
Elizabeth Hendriks recently joined WWF-Canada as the Freshwater Policy Advisor focusing on environmental flow policy and advocacy. Previously she worked at the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the University of Victoria where, among other things, she coordinated the Living Water Policy project, an online library of Canadian water policy information. She has been an associate and continues to be involved in Waterlution – A Water Learning Experience.
Christopher Hilkene is the president of the Clean Water Foundation, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to engaging individuals in actions that preserve, protect and improve our water. Since 2007, Chris has been a member of the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy and chairs its water program. He is a governor of Ryerson University, a director of the George and Helen Vari Foundation, Pollution Probe and an advisory board member of Green Living Enterprises.
Jennifer Jackson is the executive director of the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association. She has a background in biological sciences and law and extensive experience in various environmental and municipal governance capacities. Her experience includes 12 years with the City of Ottawa, where she provided direction on the Municipal Act, practised environmental law and worked on waste management policy and funding. Most recently she worked as a policy analyst for the Environmental Stewardship Branch of Environment Canada.
Bu Lam is the senior manager of research and development for the community infrastructure division of the Government of Nunavut. His work focuses on ensuring community wastewater systems can meet emerging national standards for effluent quality. He is Nunavut’s representative on the CCME Municipal Wastewater Effluent Coordinating Committee and deals with issues relating to wastewater regulation in Nunavut. Bu has a Ph.D. in environmental chemistry from the University of Toronto.
John Nicholson is a member of the editorial advisory board of Water Canada and is its past editor. John co-founded Environmental Business Consultants (EBC), a firm that specializes in helping environmental companies grow and prosper through technical assistance, financing, and business development. He has worked in the environmental sector, including water and wastewater, since 1989. John has a B.Sc. (Eng.) and an M.Sc. in environmental engineering from the University of Guelph.
Lynn Patterson is director of corporate responsibility for RBC, and is responsible for the strategy and promotion of the RBC Blue Water Project, the company’s wide-ranging, 10-year, global commitment to water stewardship. She is the executive editor of RBC’s annual Corporate Responsibility Report, and oversees the company’s sustainability reporting.
Henry David Venema directs the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Water Innovation Centre and Natural and Social Capital Program. Hank is a professional engineer with a diverse natural resource background spanning water resources, agriculture, energy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, rural development, ecosystem management, environmental economics, and environmental finance. In 2009, he led the creation of the Water Innovation Centre with an initial mandate to build a strategic vision for Lake Winnipeg Basin management based on leading-edge policy, management, and technological concepts.
Anna Warwick Sears is the executive director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board, a collaborative water governance agency in the arid interior of British Columbia. She received a PhD in population biology at the University of California – Davis. Before coming to the Okanagan in 2006, Dr. Sears was the research director of an environmental NGO in California, leading watershed restoration and planning. Dr. Sears is passionate about using science to solve real-world problems and building bridges with community stakeholders.
Anthony M. Watanabe is the founding CEO of the Innovolve Group, a consultancy helping clients maximize their investments in sustainability. Innovolve has a robust water practice, with projects like the annual Canadian Water Summit, the Industry Canada report titled “Water and the Future of the Canadian Economy” and the footprinting and risk mapping service, WaterInsight. Anthony sits on the Water Partnership Advisory Committee of the Council of the Federation’s Water Stewardship Council, which provides strategic advice to Canada’s Premiers on key trends, issues, and opportunities related to water resources.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
2011
Zafar Adeel has experience in a variety of water and environmental issues, including monitoring and control of water pollution, and solutions to industrial environmental problems. He is also keenly involved in development of and liaison with international networks of water experts. He serves as director at United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). Currently, Adeel is serving as the chair of UN-Water, a group of 27 agencies focused on global water issues.
Rupert Allen is the water and wastewater sector analyst for Industry Canada where he works on issues of technological innovation and sector capability. He has worked for Canada’s federal government for the past three years. Prior, he worked for private sector companies in England, Italy, and Brazil. Rupert has a Master’s degree from the University of Essex.
Peter Bozzo has worked in the water industry for 15 years. He is a Certified Water Treatment Specialist. Currently the president of the Canadian Water Quality Association, Peter is actively involved in the industry and has served on numerous boards and panels. Peter is proud to be part of a successful family business in Toronto, Ontario (Nimbus Water Systems Inc). In 2005 he took over the active role as president and launched a national water dispensing business (Nimbus Water Vending Services Inc). In 2010 he hopes to continue the success and momentum with the birth of a new business, Go Bottleless Inc.
Adam Chamberlain is a partner with the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and a member of the firm’s Environmental and Energy practices. Adam acts as Environmental Assessment and environmental approvals counsel on large infrastructure projects in the water, wastewater, energy, and waste sectors and is active with environmental assessment processes for other types of projects as well. He is a Certified Specialist in Environmental Law.
After a long career in institutional equity sales with various Canadian banks, Milla Craig is now the principal of Millani Perspectives, offering sustainable investing industry analysis and consulting services to asset owners, asset managers, and publicly listed corporations.
Harry Dahme is a senior partner at Gowlings’ Toronto office and leader of the National Environmental Law Practice Group. He has practiced exclusively in the area of environmental law since 1984 and has a solid reputation as one of the foremost environmental lawyers in Canada. Harry is certified by the Law Society as a Specialist in Environmental Law.
Since 2001, Rick Findlay has been a director of the Canadian Water Network, a national Network Centre of Excellence that matches, directs and manages Federal Government NCE funding for water research at Canadian universities and other public and private partner institutions. He is now vice-chair. Rick retired in July 2008 after almost a decade as director of the Water Programme of Pollution Probe, a Canadian non-profit, non-government organization.
Nancy Goucher is the program coordinator for Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW), a collaborative of water policy experts encouraging government action to protect Canada’s freshwater resources. She has a Master of Environmental Studies degree in Planning from the University of Waterloo. Nancy has published numerous articles on water management in Canada, including Seeking Water Justice: Strengthening Legal Protection of Canada’s Drinking Water, a report she co-authored with Randy Christensen of Ecojustice.
Alan Harvie has practiced environmental law since 1989. He is chair of Macleod Dixon LLP’s Environmental Law Practice Group. Alan has significant water law experience in Alberta, and has been involved with water law issues involving power plants, irrigation infrastructure, real estate and tourism projects, industrial facilities, water and wastewater treatment plants, and water rights trading. He is a past-president of Trout Unlimited Canada (Bow River Chapter) and a member of various water-related public advisory committees.
David Henderson is the founder and managing director of XPV Capital Corporation, a leading investment firm that invests in high growth water companies. David identifies and invests in companies capitalizing on the opportunities created by the “new water economy.” He is a respected speaker and contributor in water technology and investing. David is an advisor to the Ontario Clean Water Initiative and Imagine H2O and was a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award in 2009.
Elizabeth Hendriks is the water governance and policy coordinator for the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance — University of Victoria (poliswaterproject.org) and is involved in the provincial government’s Water Act modernization process. She is also part of the Living Water Policy Project and manages the evolving national water policy library found at waterpolicy.ca.
Christopher Hilkene is the president of the Clean Water Foundation, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to engaging individuals in actions that preserve, protect and improve our water. Since 2007, Chris has been a member of the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy and chairs its water program. He is a governor of Ryerson University, a director of the George and Helen Vari Foundation, Pollution Probe, and an advisory board member of Green Living Enterprises.
Prior to joining Climate Change Infrastructure, a clean technology investment firm, Faisal Mirza worked as a consulting engineer for Earth Tech (now AECOM) where he designed, modelled and project-managed the construction of water resource systems for clients across North America and West Africa. He lived in Nigeria for 13 months managing Earth Tech’s offices providing his water expertise to the World Bank, various state water corporations and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
John Nicholson is a member of the editorial advisory board of Water Canada and is its past editor. John co-founded Environmental Business Consultants (EBC), a firm that specializes in helping environmental companies grow and prosper through technical assistance, financing, and business development. He has worked in the environmental sector, including water and wastewater, since 1989. John has an B.Sc.(Eng.) and an M.Sc. in environmental engineering from the University of Guelph.
Bruce Pardy is a professor in the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University. He has written extensively on environmental governance, ecosystem management, climate change, water policy and environmental liability, and has taught environmental law in Canada, the United States and New Zealand. Before becoming an academic, Bruce was a litigation lawyer at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Toronto. He presently sits on the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal as an adjudicator and mediator.
Lynn Patterson is director of corporate responsibility for RBC, and is responsible for the strategy and promotion of the RBC Blue Water Project, the company’s wide-ranging, 10-year, global commitment to water stewardship. She is the executive editor of RBC’s annual Corporate Responsibility Report, and oversees the company’s sustainability reporting.
Dianne Saxe is one of the world’s top 25 environmental lawyers, according to Best of the Best, 2008. She’s also listed as one of Canada’s best environmental lawyers in numerous rating services, including every edition of Lexpert’s Guide to the 500 Leading Lawyers in Canada. One of Canada’s first Certified Specialists in Environmental Law, she has received the Ontario Bar Association Distinguished Service Award and has 34 years of experience in all areas of environmental law and litigation.
Hans Schreier is a professor in the Faculty of Land & Food Systems at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on watershed management, land-water interactions, soil and water pollution, and GIS. He has worked extensively in watershed studies in the Himalayan and Andean regions, and in Brazil, Honduras, Vietnam, and Mongolia. In 2004 he received the Science in Action Award from the UN’s International Year of Fresh Water, Science & Education Program, for outstanding work in making watershed management knowledge available in Canada and in developing countries.
An aquatic biologist with extensive work experience in water management issues in both British Columbia and Yukon, Bob Truelson is involved with Environmental Assessment work related to mining project reviews, conducting water quality trend assessments on priority watersheds in Yukon, and represents Yukon on national water files related to water quality. He is the manager of water quality for the Government of Yukon.
Anthony M. Watanabe is the founding CEO of the Innovolve Group, a consultancy helping clients maximize their investments in sustainability. Working with multinationals such as P&G, Kraft, RBC and Bayer, or global initiatives such as the Asia Pacific Partnership or the World Green Building Council, Innovolve seeks scale at the forefront of the sustainability movement. Anthony has championed Innovolve’s emerging water practice, first with the inaugural Canadian Water Summit, and more recently with the report titled Water and the Future of the Canadian Economy. Anthony also volunteers his time to water initiatives such as the Canadian committee for ISO 14046 and the Water Footprint standard.
Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux has taught Native Studies, Political Science, History, and Business, at Georgian College, Seneca and Laurentian University, and Aboriginal Studies and Social Work at the University of Toronto. She is an advisory member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, holder of the Nexen Chair in Aboriginal Leadership at the Banff Centre in Alberta, a returning member of the Lake Simcoe Science Advisory Committee, a Lady of the Lake, and an active and engaging media representative. Cynthia is a member of the Chippewa of Georgina Island First Nation in Lake Simcoe.
Kevin Wong is the executive director of the Canadian Water Quality Association. His responsibilities include the execution of the association’s strategic plan, growth of its membership, and close interface with regulatory bodies. Previous to joining the CWQA, Kevin worked with Cimatec Environmental Engineering and Jacques Whitford Environmental.
