Ontario
Quick Links
Welcome to the Ontario Branch site!
The Ontario Branch of CWRA began operating informally in the early 1970s, conducting conferences and workshops and in 1991 the Ontario Branch was officially incorporated.
Operations of the Branch are managed by a board composed of not less than ten directors, who are elected at the annual meeting by the members. All provincial directors are CWRA members. Each director is elected to hold office for a period of one year. The directors are responsible for the election/appointment of officers and committees.
If you’re interested in getting involved in Branch activities, we’d love to hear from you! You can get in touch with the Ontario Branch by emailing on@cwra.org.
May 14, 2026: Ontario Branch Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Water Resources Association Ontario Branch for 2026 will be held on Thursday, May 14 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm. An official agenda and materials will be circulated to Ontario CWRA Members by email and available on this page soon.
Agenda
- 2:00 – 2:10: Welcome and Confirmation of Quorum (CWRA Ontario Members)
- 2:10 – 2:45: Technical Talk and Q&A with Sandra Cooke, CWN: Moving from predictive to plausible – shifting approaches to long-term planning
- 2:45 – 3:30: Ontario Branch AGM
Technical Talks Return to the AGM
We are pleased to announce the return of Technical Talks as part of this year’s AGM program. These sessions bring deep-dive expertise back to our gathering, focusing on the complex operational and strategic challenges facing the water sector.
Moving from Predictive to Plausible
Hosted by the Urban Water Management Working Group, this session addresses how municipalities across Canada are navigating a future defined by rapid change. From climate change to accelerated urban growth, these challenges require planning approaches that can adapt to shifting conditions.
Sandra Cooke (she/her/elle), Director, Communities | Climate at the Canadian Water Network, will lead a discussion on Adaptive Planning. This forward-looking approach helps decision-makers anticipate a range of possible futures rather than relying on a single trajectory. By building flexibility into long-term strategies, water systems can:
- Minimize investment risks and increase capacity to respond to change.
- Reduce the impact of unforeseen conditions.
- Maintain reliability in an increasingly volatile environment.
About the Speaker
Sandra brings over 30 years of experience leading applied research and monitoring programs. Currently the National Director, Programs at Canadian Water Network, she oversees the Municipal Consortium, connecting senior water utility professionals across Canada. Her expertise is grounded in 17 years as a watershed water manager with the Grand River Conservation Authority, where she led integrated watershed management.
Please take note that this technical presentation is open to CWRA ON members only.
For more information about the UWM-WG or to join the group, please contact on@cwra.org .
Thank you for being a member of CWRA! Please ensure your membership is up to date so we can meet quorum – a reminder that student memberships are free and Young Professional and Retiree memberships are discounted.
Ontario Branch Board of Directors 2025-2026
Branch Executive
President: Gillian Walker
Vice President: Aakash Bagchi
Secretary: Aryn Cain
Treasurer: Kwun Yuen Pang
Past-President: Robert Chlumsky
Branch Directors
- Isabelle Hemmings
- Robert Chlumsky
- Gillian Walker
- Steve Brown
- Nancy Davy
- Jeffrey Hirvonen
- Pippy Warburton
- Aryn Cain
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Scott Robertson
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Cristy Guo
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Hanna Daniels
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Aakash Bagchi
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Kwun Yuen Pang
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Mason Marchildon
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Ryan Langlois
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Sumudu Withana
Ontario Events
For a full listing of CWRA events across Canada, please visit our events page.
Branch Library
The Ontario Branch of CWRA offers a variety of opportunities for people to become engaged and involved in water resource management in Ontario. If you are curious about CWRA, subscribe to our newsletter to hear about upcoming events that will give you a chance to meet other CWRA members and water professionals. You can see past mailings here.
Membership to the CWRA is not required to join our branch mailing list, but to receive the full benefit of CWRA offerings – including event discounts – we encourage everyone to join up.
If you want to get more involved, you can ask about volunteering at future events, including workshops, networking, SYP, mentoring, and virtual events. For more information please contact one of the Executive Committee members at on@cwra.org.
