1. Learn! Lead! Deliver Results! Register for River Rally 2009
River Rally 2009 is a capacity building workshop for citizens working to protect watersheds in Alberta. Held September 29 to October 1 in Devon, Alberta, there will be a variety of sessions helping groups who are working on water issues to communicate more effectively, raise money, leverage more resources, and engage citizens into their work. River Rally 2009 is hosted by Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and Petro-Canada in collaboration with Water Matters , North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance, and Alberta Stewardship Network.
» Learn about River Rally and Register
Who should attend?
Anyone working on watershed protection in Alberta is welcome including:
Water Leaders — Staff and volunteers from Watershed Stewardship groups (stream, lake, river and wetland groups), government agencies, NGOs, and companies working on watershed management, stewardship, and protection within Alberta.
Water Practitioners — Individuals who would like to join a growing learning community of citizens interested in water issues within Alberta.
Water Learners — Professionals, students, and citizens from all corners and watersheds in Alberta who want to engage in collective creativity and intelligence in order to achieve better cooperation and results.
The impact of oil sands development on water and people reaches beyond Alberta’s borders. This message was delivered from non-governmental organizations, First Nations, and experts again and again to the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development during its fact-finding trip through Alberta this May. The all-party committee visited the region to look at oil sands development with a federal lens on water resources issues. The committee recognizes that these issues affect not just Alberta but also downstream communities on the Athabasca and Mackenzie Rivers. The committee visited First Nations in the Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan areas on May 11. Two days of testimony by various interests followed in Edmonton on May 12, and Calgary on May 13.
Many consider the waters of the Bow River upstream of the Kananaskis Dam to be in a mostly natural state. But this notion is challenged in a report, 
A recent report finds that the mandate of the Fisheries Act is not being met. The federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Scott Vaughan, audited programs that implement and enforce the Fisheries Act. The 
Spring brings heavy rains, high river flows, flood warnings, and stormwater which poses considerable risk to water quality at this time of year. Alberta government annually reports on water quality in our rivers in the 
Join us on June 10 in Edmonton for a wine and cheese reception to hear
Paul McLoughlin, a noted broadcaster on CBC Radio and publisher of
Alberta Scan, a weekly newsletter about Alberta politics. We will also
feature an informal slide show featuring Alberta's rivers.