Keyword Water

The prairies and its people are connected by the Lake Winnipeg Watershed, one of the largest drainage basins in the world. This dynamic system relies on the stability of weather patterns, which are being affected by the changing climate. Troubled Waters urges action to address strains on waterways, and emphasises the need for collaboration across borders. Everything is interrelated from upstream to downstream, let’s work to protect the treasured biodiversity that we all depend on.

Winter is central to the Canadian prairie identity. It’s the defining season for a people whose common enemy is also their strength. The long cold snowy winter is also important to economies and ecosystems. And that winter is changing. Set to the backdrop of the Nestaweya River Trail, one of Canada’s longest skating trails, resilient settlers and newcomers alike talk about adapting to a world where the joys of the season are shrinking and what that will mean for future generations.

With “boots on the ground” along the Seine River that flows through Winnipeg, the Manitoba Métis Federation’s water quality program supports Métis citizen scientists to conduct research and monitoring related to climate change and pollution. As the “eyes and ears of the environment,” Métis citizens are collecting data, documenting change, and spreading the word around the importance of preparing for the future.

For decades Inuit have been leading the conversation on climate change in Canada. Inuit writer and advocate Siila Watt-Cloutier has been at the helm of this work. “As Inuit, we rely on the cold, the ice, the snow. That is our life force,” she says. For her people, the cold and sea ice are at the center of culture, transportation, safety, health, and education. Climate change is impacting the Inuit way of life.

“Tariuq Takujannik - The Ocean From My Eye” explores youth perspectives of climate change through the lens of pinhole photography and participatory video. Students from Attagoyuk High School in Pangnirtung, Nunavut participated in a weeklong workshop about oceans, climate change, and photography. Building cameras from recycled materials, students took to the shoreline to create photographs, guided by the question: why are imaq (sea water) and siku (sea ice) important to youth? By engaging youth in creative, hands-on processes, we can share knowledge and find solutions for complex issues like climate change.

As summers become longer and hotter under climate change, many Canadians will be seeking relief at lake beaches. But hotter summers and changing precipitation make favourable conditions for algal blooms to grow in the water, which can produce toxins that are harmful to human health. Experts, Indigenous communities, and residents in the Lake Winnipeg area are all too familiar with the impacts of algal blooms on health, as they discuss in this video

With summer temperatures starting to soar, many Canadians are eager to visit our favourite local beaches to break the heat. In many parts of the country, this means a trip to the nearest lake or river. Climate change is impacting waterbodies across the country, with lakes in Canada warming two times faster than other lakes in the world.[1] And with these changes come increased health risks. Higher temperatures and changing precipitation patterns make lakes more suitable for waterborne disease outbreaks.[2] As water quality worsens under climate change, beach closures and swimming advisories are expected to become more common.[3]

Many of Canada’s forested watersheds are prone to increasing wildfires under climate change. Less vegetation and more erosion are just a few of the ways in which wildfires disrupt water availability and quality. This poses threats to human health and raises challenges for water management systems. Experts Monica Emelko and Francois Robinne explain the connections between wildfire, water, and the health of Canadians.

Wildfires are becoming increasingly frequent and intense in Canadian summers.[1] In 2018, British Columbia saw its worst fire season in history, burning 1.3 million hectares of land.[2] This was just two years after record-breaking fires devastated the city of Fort McMurray in Alberta, costing $9 billion in losses.[3] With this increase in wildfires caused by climate change[4], we’re seeing more and more health impacts to Canadians.

Wind-swept, remote, and jaw-droppingly beautiful. These are Quebec’s Îles-de-la-Madeleine. A narrow archipelago, surrounded on all sides by the unpredictable waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence, the islands are home to just under 13,000 souls who live mainly from fishing and tourism. Like many small islands around the globe, the consequences of climate change are altering life here dramatically. Islanders are coming together to grapple with this reality and find local solutions, and are asking hard questions about the future.