After being selected to host this year's Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (WPAC) annual summit, the Beaver River Watershed Alliance is putting the finishing touches to what they hope will be an “interesting and educational” event.
The summit, named ‘Chilly Waters' will take place in Cold Lake from Sept. 23 to the 26, with representatives from all 11 WPACs in the province expected to join local residents to take in the entertaining and educational sessions currently planned throughout the three-and-a-half day event.
Harry Keess, program manager with the BRWA and the man mainly responsible for organizing this year's summit, said he was excited to see the event brought to this region for the first time and encouraged anybody with an interest in the watershed to come and see what the event is all about.
“It's a big deal for us here at the BRWA and it's a big deal for the region to be able to host an event of this magnitude as it gives us the chance to really showcase this area to the rest of Alberta,” Keess said. “Unlike most other WPACs in the province, we're not in close proximity to any of the large cities, so this isn't a common location for an event like this, which makes it unique. We're giving people a bit of a different perspective on different watersheds in Alberta.”
Since being established as an organization in 2007, Keess said this was the BRWA's first chance to host the event, so as such he's set up a number of tours and made arrangements for a variety of guest speakers to keep those in attendance entertained.
Keess said. “The main topics we're looking at are ground water and geology, air and land interactions with surface water and a session focusing on the past, present and future of the Beaver River Watershed Alliance.
“We'll also be taking participants out on a bus around different parts of the region that we feel are important to this watershed – so such places as the Cold Lake Fish Hatchery, a tour of Husky Energy, the location of where both the Beaver River and Sand River meet, a tour of Moose Lake Provincial Park and we've also arranged a visit to the site of the Dupre wildfire from a while back. So hopefully there's enough there to keep people happy.”
Keess said this is a great opportunity to learn something new about the area.
“People will really get to see this area in a different light and learn something new about the area that they perhaps had never even thought about before. For those outside of our region, it presents them with an opportunity to get out and experience different parts of the province and take those experiences and apply them to situations and potential problems they have in their area. It's just a great opportunity to take advantage of.”
He said he was hoping to see between 80 and 100 people come out over the course of the three days, stating the cost for the event was “relatively reasonable” considering what the watershed has organized and put together.
“For total participation over the course of the three and a half days we're hosting this, registration is $225 per registrant, but that includes a banquet supper too,” Keess explained. “After that it's $50 per day and $40 to attend the banquet. We've got a really good student rate too for those interested, particularly those in a high level of education focusing on water or holding an interest in watersheds. So we're offering an entire three and a half day pass to them for $65, so it's a really good deal for students to attend.”