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The POLIS team congratulates Cowichan Tribes and the Province of British Columbia on the signing of the Xwulqw’selu Watershed Planning Agreement (S-xats-thut tst—We Agree) on May 12th, 2023. With the signing of this Agreement, Cowichan Tribes and the provincial government are launching a historic multi-year watershed planning process, including work to develop (and then implement) the first Water Sustainability Plan in B.C. Read more >
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POLIS’ Oliver M. Brandes joined the Canadian delegation at the United Nations 2023 Water Conference, which took place in New York City from March 22nd to 24th. This conference was the first UN water conference to be held since 1977 and was organized as part of the UN International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development (2018-2028). The once-in-a-generation gathering offered opportunities for global leaders and water champions from around the world to network and share learnings around solving the global water and sanitation crises and to confirm the urgency and priority of water sustainability. Read more>
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On March 22, 2023, we co-hosted our first in-person World Water Day event since 2019—a screening of The Soul of the Fraser (Nerv Productions, 2022), followed by an insightful dialogue with a panel of expert guests. Over 100 guests arrived at the University of Victoria to watch the film and learn from Sarah Nathan (Ducks Unlimited Canada), Lindsey Jay Wilson (Hereditary Chief, Hwlitsum First Nation), Chris Jenkins (Co-Director, The Soul of the Fraser) and Fin Donnelly (Parliamentary Secretary for Watershed Restoration, British Columbia). Read more>
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In March, our team was honoured to witness the announcement of a $100 million B.C. Watershed Security Fund and the release of the Watershed Security Strategy Intentions Paper at the B.C. legislature. We commend and celebrate the leadership and commitment of the B.C.-First Nations Water Table and the provincial government to co-develop the Fund and Strategy. This milestone moment offers a path that supports building healthy and resilient watersheds across B.C. based on reconciliation, respect, and locally driven solutions. Read more>
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March 28th, 2023 was another big day for water in Canada, with the federal government following B.C.’s example and showing tangible commitments to watershed health and security. Federal Budget 2023 includes the announcement of a Canada Water Agency and record money allocated to work in the Great Lakes. Read more>
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Where Are They Now?
A Special Anniversary Series
The POLIS Water Sustainability Project is 20 this year! To celebrate some of the people who have made this milestone possible, we're getting in touch with several “POLIS alumni” to find out what they’ve been up to since leaving POLIS, and to ask if there are lessons from their POLIS days that they still carry with them. We're happy to share our first two profiles.
Elizabeth Hendriks was part of the Water Sustainability Project team from 2008 to 2011 and currently works as the Vice-President of Restoration and Regeneration at WWF-Canada. Read more>
Tony Maas joined the POLIS Water Sustainability Project as a research associate shortly after the project launched in 2003. He currently works as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. Read more>
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Dr. Gordon Moore, a great friend to the teams at POLIS and the Centre for Global Studies, died on March 24th, 2023 at the age of 94. His philanthropy has been a foundational pillar of support to the POLIS Water Sustainability Project for over a decade. As POLIS celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2023, it’s safe to say that the project wouldn’t have made it this far without the early and ongoing support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Read more>
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News from Associates, Fellows & Friends
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Maple Ridge Map Our Marshes
Maple Ridge, BC; Field Site TBA | June 2-3 | Free
Hosted by BCWF
Houston Wetland Keepers
Buck Creek Canfor Hatchery and Nature Centre | July 27-29 | Free
Hosted by BCWF
Houston Wetland Keepers
Whistler Public Library, Field Locations TBA | August 19-20 | Free
Hosted by BCWF
Virtual Map Our Marshes (1-day)
Virtual, Zoom | November 4 | 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM | Free
Hosted by BCWF
Happenings & Highlights
Reconciliation in Action: Launch of shared online inventory signals a collaborative pathway to reconciliation (Winnipeg Metro Region, CLI, March 17, 2023)
Cowichan Tribes, Province sign historic agreement marking launch of Xwulqw'selu (Koksilah) watershed planning (Government of British Columbia, May 12, 2023)
Cowichan Tribes & Province Sign Historic Agreement Marking the launch of Xwulqw'selu (Koksilah) Watershed Planning (Cowichan Tribes, May 12, 2023)
Recent Publications
Shuswap Water Council Annual Report 2022-2023 (Shuswap Water Council, 2023)
In the News
Canada has a moral and societal obligation to invest in freshwater (The Star, March 17, 2023)
Spring is coming - where is our Canada Water Agency? (The Globe and Mail, March 22, 2023)
Media Release: Shuswap Watershed Council awarding five grants for water quality improvement (Shuswap Watershed Council, April 14, 2023)
Okanagan Basin Water Board wants provincial watershed fund to be 10 times larger (Castanet, April 24, 2023)
Cowichan Tribes and B.C. Government team up to save Koksilah River with unprecedented agreement (chek NEWS, May 12, 2023)
Agreement forged for planning the future of the Koksilah Watershed (My Cowichan Valley Now, May 12, 2023)
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