The Bog
The Bog is where thoughts, opinions, discussion pieces, and action converge. Influential thinkers from the water community are invited to share their insights on current or controversial water topics. Please note that the views expressed herein are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Alberta WaterPortal.
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Canada: Speaking For The Public: Who Pays? Who should pay the costs, when a public interest intervenor succeeds before an administrative tribunal? The Alberta Environmental Appeals Board awarded an intervenor $76,067, payable by the Town of Turner Valley. Ms. Walsh, who lives on a disability pension, had persuaded Alberta Environment and the Board to require additional monitoring of a municipal…
First in Time, First in Right – Is it Being Attacked? For the last 116 years, Alberta’s water allocation system has been based on the principle of first in time, first in right. This means that the first person to obtain a licence for the use of an allocation of water has priority to water in dry times over someone…
Reality Check: Water and the Oil Sands Lately it seems the oil sands are being blamed for all of Canada’s environmental ills. By reading articles in your daily newspaper or perusing the website of your favourite environmental group, it would seem that oil sands developments are to blame for all of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions and sucking up all…
Water and Okotoks A November 30, 2009, Calgary Herald article captioned “Calgary utility would sell water to neighbours” appeared to be almost accepting of a City of Calgary proposal for a ‘not-for-profit’ water utility. This will not go over well with those who continue to protest the prospect of City of Calgary control over potentially divergent growth philosophies in municipalities…
Chateau Lake Louise Waste Water Probe The Chateau Lake Louise has a reputation as an environmentally friendly hotel, but is that reputation fully deserved? While scrutinizing their application to build a new water treatment facility and reservoir, I noted that the size of the reservoir was three times the size of the old one. It also came to light that…