Webinar: Presenting the Cities Initiative’s 2025 Federal Priorities for the United States and Canada

2025 is a year of federal government transitions in the United States and Canada. The Trump administration has taken office in the United States and federal elections will be taking place in Canada this year. While political winds are shifting, the mission of the Cities Initiative – to promote economic prosperity in our communities and protect our fresh water for the benefit of current and future generations – will remain unchanged.

The Cities Initiative invites its entire membership to join us for this webinar to learn more about our Board of Directors-approved 2025 federal priorities for the United States and Canada and how we are navigating this period of transitions in Washington and Ottawa.

Featured speakers:

• Travis Wheeler, Chief Policy Officer, Cities Initiative
• Max Hayet, Senior Canada Policy Manager, Cities Initiative

Moderator:

• Councillor Sean O’Meara Oakville, ON

Please join us for a Cities Initiative-hosted roundtable with leadership from the newly established Canada Water Agency (CWA). Come learn more about the CWA’s mandate and funding programs, and engage in a discussion around your freshwater priorities.

Combatting floods in your communities: an expert’s list of best practices and risk assessment tools to better protect your community 

December 5

A summer of major floods across Ontario and Québec has proven the need for cities to conduct risk assessments and advance climate adaptation. The Cities Initiative is partnering with the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, a leading research centre on climate adaptation at the University of Waterloo, to deliver this webinar to equip you and your staff to help you increase your city’s resilience.

This webinar will help you determine how to assess the flood-readiness of your community, infrastructure, and municipal services, along with best practices for resilience.

Both the Cities Initiative and the Intact Centre are proud members of the Climate Proof Canada coalition, which convenes legislators from all parties and government officials to present them with a list of recommendations to increase resilience across the country.

Featured Speaker:
Joanna Eyquem, Managing Director, Climate-Resilient Infrastructure, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo

How Utilities Are Using Federal Dollars to Accelerate the Pace of Lead Service Line Replacement in Great Lakes Communities

October 24
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A significant percentage of the lead service lines remaining in the United States are concentrated in Great Lakes communities. Thanks to historic federal investments, dedicated local leadership, and steadfast advocacy by residents, communities are beginning to make meaningful progress on removing lead service lines and reducing the risk of lead poisoning. BlueGreen Alliance and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative invite you to join us for a discussion with water department leaders from Chicago, Detroit, and Milwaukee on expanding lead service line replacement programs, accelerating the pace of replacement, and promoting water equity across Great Lakes communities.

Featured Speakers:
Patrick Pauly, Superintendent, Milwaukee Water Works
Mike Grillo, Deputy Commissioner for Lead Service Line Replacement, Chicago Department of Water Management 

Canada’s New Freshwater Policy and Programming

June 8
How Can Your Community Benefit from New Funding?
Join us for an informative and engaging session to learn about the new opportunities and funding available under Canada’s new freshwater policy and programming. Discover how your community can benefit and make a positive impact on our precious water resources.

For more information, please contact: Eamonn Horan-Lunney Eamonn.HL@GLSLCities.org.

Let’s work together to protect and enhance our freshwater resources!

Green Shipping and Cruise Tourism on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway: Opportunities for Local Governments to Participate in the Emerging Blue Economy

June 5
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The U.S. and Canadian governments have pledged to establish a Green Shipping Corridor Network on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet international commitments on climate change. Meanwhile, Great Lakes cruise tourism continues to grow in popularity, with an expanding network of world-class, freshwater destinations and an anticipated economic impact of $200 million in 2024. The Cities Initiative and the Mayors Commission on Economic Transformation invites you to join us for this webinar to learn how your community can work with the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation to take advantage of these opportunities to participate in the emerging blue economy. 

Featured Speakers:
Adam Tindall-Schlicht,  Administrator, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
Anthony Fisher, Deputy Administrator, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation 

All Eyes on Lead: How to Create an Equitable and Efficient Lead Service Line Replacement Program

February 22
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Maintaining the trust of residents requires municipalities to be mindful of equity in a Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) program. Lower income neighborhoods have a higher prevalence of lead service lines when compared to higher income neighborhoods and costs associated with replacing the private property portion of a lead service line can be prohibitive for low-income residents. This is an environmental justice issue that can be partly addressed by following principles developed by LSLR advocates. In implementing an LSLR program, policymakers will have to focus on both equity and efficiency, ensuring the dollars are used efficiently, the most vulnerable neighborhoods are prioritized, and residents in the most affected neighborhoods are engaged. In this webinar, you will hear directly from municipal leaders who have incorporated equity into their LSLR programs as well as experts who advise communities on this process. You will walk away with action items to assist in the rollout or expansion of your own community’s LSLR program.

Cities as Key Partners in the Water Innovation Pipeline

January 25
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As cities continue to grow, their influence on water resources and management strategies becomes more significant. This webinar explores how urban areas, often at the forefront of climate change impacts, are uniquely positioned to drive innovative solutions in water technology. We will discuss the latest advancements in water conservation, purification, and recycling technologies, emphasizing their importance in urban settings.

Participants will gain insights into:

• The challenges and opportunities of water management in urban settings.
• Innovative water technologies shaping the future of urban water management.
• AquaAction’s role in bridging the gap between technology developers and city administrations.
• Strategies for cities to become active partners in the water innovation pipeline.

This webinar will be driven by AquaAction, an organization dedicated to fostering water tech innovations. AquaAction’s approach involves collaborating with city planners, policymakers, and technology experts to develop and implement cutting-edge solutions tailored for urban environments. We will showcase successful case studies where AquaAction has partnered with cities to implement these technologies, highlighting the positive outcomes on urban sustainability and resilience.

This webinar is ideal for city planners, environmentalists, technology innovators, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of urban development and sustainable water management. Join us to understand how cities can be key players in shaping a water-secure future.

Launching the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts in Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and Lake St. Clair Communities (U.S. Members Only)

January 17

Join NOAA and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative for an introductory webinar on the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts! This initiative brings scientific expertise, training, and technical assistance to communities looking to restore coastal habitats and improve climate resilience. Ultimately, at least eight site-specific projects will receive engineering design support (with no local match) through the program to help move projects toward implementation. Communities along Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Superior as well as communities along the Detroit River, St. Clair River, and St. Mary’s River are invited to participate.

Learn More about the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts.

About the Partners

• The Cities Initiative represents more than 250 communities across the multinational Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region.
• NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is the federal arm of this nation’s efforts to sustainably manage the nation’s coastal zone.
• Your coastal community brings local knowledge and project opportunities.

IJC Climate Adaptation Guide Virtual Dialogue

December 13
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The Cities Initiative is hosting a dialogue to gather feedback on a new climate adaptation guide being developed by the International Joint Commission (IJC) to support small- and medium-sized Great Lakes communities in accessing tools and resources to support their climate adaptation efforts. This event will begin with a short presentation on the guide. Participants will be asked to comment on and critique the guide and provide any other feedback relevant to their community’s needs regarding climate adaptation. We welcome representatives from regional planning agencies, municipal leadership and staff, and other potential end-users of this guide from all of the Great Lakes states and provinces.

Virtual Roundtable:  Next Steps for the Canada Water Agency (Canada Members)

November 23

Join the new Director General of the Canada Water Agency to learn about the agency’s mandate, the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan and how recent federal freshwater policies and programs can help your community and region’s shoreline, rivers, and lakes.

The Canada Water Agency has been created as the federal focal point for fresh water, working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, provinces, territories, municipalities, and stakeholders to strengthen collaboration on fresh water. Legislation will be introduced in 2023 to establish the Canada Water Agency as a stand-alone Agency. The Canada Water Agency delivers on key elements of the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan to:

• Restore, protect, and manage waterbodies of national significance
• Improve freshwater quality

The Freshwater Action Plan builds on proven approaches to deliver regionally-responsive initiatives in waterbodies of national significance, including the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

The Canada Water Agency is leading the modernization of the Canada Water Act to reflect Canada’s freshwater reality, including climate change and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. It also supports the implementation of important initiatives such as the National Adaptation Strategy.

*The presentation will be in English, however questions and conversation can be in English or French.

Speaker:
Veronique Hiriart-Baer, Director General, Freshwater Management, Canada Water Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada

Show Me the Money: How to Secure and Strategically Utilize Multiple Funding Sources to Expedite Lead Service Line Replacement in Your Community 

November 9
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Obtaining funding is a prerequisite for every community seeking to replace its lead service lines. Depending on the scope of the problem, multiple funding sources – from municipal bonds to federal funding – may be needed to achieve 100 percent replacement. Meanwhile, the best sources of capital may differ depending on a municipality’s qualification as a state-defined disadvantaged community, their capacity to take on additional debt, their credit score, their size, and other factors. Communities must also be mindful to stretch scarce dollars for lead pipe removal as far as possible, including by bringing down the cost of each replacement. In this webinar, you will hear directly from municipal leaders and other stakeholders who have successfully leveraged diverse financing and innovative cost-saving mechanisms to expedite lead service line replacement. You will also walk away with an improved understanding of how your community can secure and strategically utilize the full range of funding sources available to get the lead out of your drinking water. 

Moderator and Featured Speakers:

• Maureen Cunningham, Chief Strategy Officer & Director of Water, EPIC – Moderator
• Angela Bricmont, Chief of Finance, Denver Water
• Gary Brown, Director, Detroit Water and Sewerage Department 
• Ed Moore, Public Utilities Director, City of Toledo 
• Nathan Anderson, Vice President, Regional and Community Development Research, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago 

Leaders for Sustainable Change: 2023 Wege Project Winners

September 21
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View Presentation – Belleville
View Presentation – Tiny

This year, the Cities Initiative selected two Ontario communities for its annual Wege Award – the City of Belleville and the Township of Tiny. This award provides $7,500 to a Cities Initiative member city with a population of less than 100,000 with an innovative sustainability project that helps support the protection of our freshwater resources for future generations. Join us for this webinar to find out more about the two winning projects and how some of these solutions could be applied. Cities Initiative staff will also be on hand to answer questions about the Wege Award process.

Featured Speakers:

• Amanda Azzopardi, Environmental Coordinator, City of Belleville
• Bonita Desroches, Director of Recreation, Township of Tiny

Environmental Finance Centers: Accessing Technical Assistance for Water-Infrastructure Projects

September 21
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The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides a combined $23.42 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund over five years, plus $15 billion for lead service line replacement, $5 billion for emerging contaminants in disadvantaged communities and $4 billion for PFAS in drinking water. In response, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected 29 Environmental Finance Centers (EFCs) to provide technical assistance to help communities evaluate their water-infrastructure needs and submit applications to finance identified projects via their respective State Revolving Funds or other U.S. EPA funding streams. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative invites you to join us to learn about how your community may access technical assistance through the EFC mechanism. This webinar is co-hosted by the Cities Initiative’s Mayors Commission on Water Equity.

Moderator | Speakers:

• Marcus Muhammad, Mayor of Benton Harbor, Michigan – Moderator
• Mike McGee, Infrastructure Specialist, EPA
• Bill Schleizer, CEO, Delta Institute
• Denise Schmidt, Funding Navigator Director, EPIC
• Paula Conolly, Director of Local Engagement & Senior Advisor for Distributed Infrastructure, US Water Alliance

Putting People First: Local Climate Solutions that Maximize Public Benefit

May 18
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Climate change effects in the Great Lakes region – coastal erosion, flooding, degraded water quality, and more – are expected to intensify and accelerate in the coming years. As cities implement local adaptation measures to address these challenges, how can they maximize benefits to the public? Join us for a webinar as we consult leaders across the region on holistic approaches to climate solutions. The webinar will highlight some of the benefits and challenges of nature-based climate projects, taking a deeper dive into what these solutions can look like and what they offer cities and their residents. We will be tackling topics like community engagement, economic opportunities, engineering examples, and immediate and long-term benefits of solutions that put people first. 

Moderator | Speakers

• Andrea Matrosovs, Mayor of the Town of the Blue Mountains, Ontario – Moderator
• Harriet Festing, Executive Director, Anthropocene Alliance
• Iyana Simba, City Programs Director at Illinois Environment Council
• Vidya Balasubramanyam, Program Director with the Coastal States Organization
• Mark Wagstaff, Senior Waterfront Engineer & Principal at SmithGroup
• John Bratton, Senior Science Officer at LimnoTech in Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study: Engaging Municipal Stakeholders

April 20
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The Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study (GLCRS) is intended to help Great Lakes communities withstand, recover, and adapt to climate change and extreme weather events by assessing vulnerabilities, identifying solutions, and proposing a plan to guide further investments in coastal resilience along the 5,200 miles of U.S. shoreline. Now that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the eight Great Lakes states have signed a cost-share agreement and completed initial scoping, it is time for affected communities to begin engaging with USACE in order to contribute their perspectives to the study. The Cities Initiative and our Mayors Commission on Coastal Resilience invite you to join us on this webinar with USACE to receive a GLCRS update and learn more about opportunities to provide stakeholder input.

Speakers:

• David Bucaro, Chief of Planning, Chicago District, USACE
• Mike Padilla, Project Manager, Chicago District, USACE

Cities Initiative’s 2023 Canadian and U.S. Federal Priorities for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin

The Cities Initiative invites you to participate in a webinar on our 2023 Canadian and U.S. Federal Priorities for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. These priorities – which include recommendations regarding the Canada Water Agency, the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study, and other key policy issues – are the culmination of regular consultations with our Board of Directors and broader membership over the previous 12 months. Please join our policy experts on this webinar to learn more about our 2023 priorities and discuss next steps for advancing our policy agenda in Ottawa and Washington in the year ahead.

International Joint Commission Seeking Input from Cities Initiative Members on Great Lakes Water Quality

December 8
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Join the Cities Initiative for an exclusive opportunity to provide the International Joint Commission (IJC) with your reflections on governments’ progress to restore, protect and enhance the water quality of the Great Lakes.

Preparing your Grant Applications for Infrastructure

September
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Join the Cities Initiative with special guests Ailsa McCulloch and Heidi Peper from Stantec’s North American Funding Program for an interactive one-hour session on preparing a successful grant application for water infrastructure project funding. Mayors, staff, and community partners welcome. The session will begin with an overview of current opportunities available in the US and Canada and grant-writing tips for success in both countries. Participants will then be invited into country-specific breakouts to take a deeper dive on best practices for both the US and Canada.

Speakers:

• Alisa McCulloch, Canada West Lead, North American Funding Program
• Heidi Peper, Senior Associate & US East Lead, North American Funding Program

Next Steps for Water Equity:  Ensuring Equitable Implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

May 26, 2022
The Bipartisan infrastructure Law provides more than $50 billion for water infrastructure, presenting a historic opportunity for Great Lakes cities to modernize aging water systems, remove lead water lines, and manage stormwater and reduce urban flooding. Ensuring this funding is administered in an equitable manner is an urgent priority. The webinar will feature speakers from federal and state agencies who will discuss plans for assisting cities in accessing water infrastructure funding, including technical assistance for small or disadvantaged cities. It will also showcase one city’s successful program to remove lead water lines.

• Jonathan Nelson, Senior Advisor for Technical Assistance and Community Outreach, Office of Water, U.S. EPA
• Katrina Kessler, Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• Jake Pawlak, Deputy Mayor and Director, Office of Management and Budget, City of Pittsburgh and previous Senior Manager for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, which has replaced 8,883 public lead lines and 5,846 private lead lines since 2016

University of Michigan Graduate Students Present Research Findings on Resiliency Resources

April 28, 2022
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Over the past year, graduate students from the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) have been conducting research to better understand coastal resilience needs and resources in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. The students interviewed resources providers, mayors, and municipal staff across the basin and will be presenting their findings and outcomes during this webinar. This research was jointly supported by the Cities Initiative and our partners at NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management.

Canada’s Federal Budget 2022 – What’s in it for cities and freshwater?

April 19, 2022
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The federal budget will be presented on April 7. Find out what commitments Government of Canada is making to support cities, invest in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River and improve freshwater quality.

Cities Initiative’s U.S. and Canadian Federal Policy Priorities for 2022

March 31, 2022
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Each year, the Cities Initiative compiles its policy priorities for both the US and Canadian federal governments. These priorities serve as the foundation for discussions with policymakers and collaboration with other Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River stakeholders. Learn about our 2022 priorities and what steps we have taken and will be taking to move these policy, program and funding recommendations forward.

Speakers:
Matt Doss, U.S. Policy Director, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
Phil Murphy-Rhéaume, Canada Policy Director, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative

What Environmental Justice Means for Cities

March 3, 2022
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With municipalities on the frontlines of managing environmental outcomes for their residents, they are increasingly being called on to support environmental justice movements at the local level. We’ll look at how – and why – different environmental movements are approaching local councils to adopt motions in support of environmental justice. This webinar will also review what these motions mean for municipal administrations and their residents.

View Presentation:
Liz Kirkwood, Executive Director, FLOW (For Love of Water)
Kayley Laura Lata, Public Affairs Advisor, Observatoire international des droits de la Nature

The Future of the Cruise Industry on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River (English)

February 11, 2021 – How are municipal governments charting a course to create new tourism opportunities after the COVID-19 crisis?
View Presentation

Rising Water Levels in the Great Lakes – Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative

May 7, 2020
Water levels in the Great Lakes and St Lawrence. Presented by the International Joint Commission(IJC).

This webinar has already passed, watch the video recording.

Action Plan 2030

May 21, 2020
The result of 18 months of consultations, the action plan makes recommendations to the Federal and Provincial Governments that support local action to improve water quality, stop erosion, and reduce pollution in your community.

This webinar has already passed, watch the video recording.

Erosion and Flooding (English)

June 4, 2020
Participation by Stantec
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Erosion and Flooding mitigation best practices and lessons learned from shoreline communities along the Great Lakes and St Lawrence.

Stimulus Water Restoration Initiative:  A Campaign to Bring Stimulus Funding to Your Municipality

June 25, 2020
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As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. government is contemplating stimulus packages to restart our economies and to put citizens back to work.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative will be launching a Stimulus Water Restoration Initiative to advocate for financial resources to address water infrastructure needs and ensure your city can receive stimulus funds to put your citizens back to work and to improve your community and the water basin. Please attend this lunchtime webinar to learn about how you can participate in this effort.

Water Infrastructure Projects – How to Fund Your Projects and Optimize your Debt Structure (English)

July 23, 2020
Participation by Stantec
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Providing clean water is the most important service you provide to your citizens.  Your community is in need of important water infrastructure improvements.  Hear from the experts and your colleagues on how you can get your water infrastructure off the ground in today’s difficult economic environment.

Microplastics:  A Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Update (English)

September 24, 2020
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Microplastics are created when larger plastic pieces enter the marine environment and are subsequently broken into particles of less than 5mm in diameter by wind, waves and solar radiation. Microplastics are endangering the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence and the animals that inhabit these waters. Please attend this lunchtime webinar to get an update on this effort and find out how your municipality can help eliminate this pollutant.

Asian Carp – A Danger to the Great Lakes (English)

October 22, 2020
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Four species of Asian Carp threaten the health of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence ecosystem and its fisheries. Asian Carp were imported to North America for aquaculture and have since escaped into the Mississippi, Illinois, and other rivers due to flooding. For 20 years the Asian Carp have made their way to the edge of the Great Lakes, destroying habitats and denuding our fish population threatening a $5.8 trillion regional economy, including the $7 billion commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative has consistently emphasized the danger of Asian Carp and called for urgent action to address the threat. Delays in taking action have allowed for the threat to consistently increase the dangers to our region. Come to our lunchtime webinar to find out the status of our efforts.

That Green Stuff on the Great Lakes: Algae (Cladophora) Bloom  (English)

November 19, 2020
Participation by TruGreen
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The Great Lakes are battling an algae outbreak. Algae have always existed in the Lakes but there has recently been a resurgence of nuisance species (Cladophora). The growth of Cladophora increases significantly during the summer months suggesting that warmer temperatures encourage its growth. Come to our lunchtime webinar and get an update on the situation facing our water basin.

PRIMED PLACES = PRIME PLACES

September 26, 2018 @ 11:00 am central/noon eastern
Presented by GEI Consultants

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative members have to do more with less in an age of increased flooding, budget cuts, and pressure to attract jobs while reinvesting in open space and other assets for a vibrant quality of life. The first webinar in the Cities Initiative’s 2018-2019 series will be
Primed Places = Prime Places, presented by experts at GEI Consultants Ltd, to provide municipal leaders with a method for tackling these and other stresses by building community resilience through green infrastructure and similar approaches.

This webinar has already passed, watch the video recording.

ADDRESSING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY BARRIERS IN CANADA AND THE US

October 24, 2018 @ 11:00 am central/noon eastern
Presented by the Great Lakes Commission and Credit Valley Conservation Authority

Local communities are generally at the forefront of stormwater management, challenges, and innovation, but municipalities’ capacity to develop green infrastructure (GI) is heavily influenced by federal, state, and provincial policy. This webinar will summarize federal, state, and provincial policies in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence basin that promote or hinder GI and provide recommendations to create enabling conditions for communities to implement GI.

This webinar has already passed, watch the video recording.

RESILIENCY FOR RESOURCE-STRAPPED COMMUNITIES

November 14, 2018 @ 11:00 am central/noon eastern
Presented by the Delta Institute

Experts at the Delta Institute, a nonprofit aimed at collaborating with communities to address environmental issues, will speak on green infrastructure related resources and tools that can be used in resource-strapped communities interested in taking steps on adaptation. Delta Institute will provide examples from their work in Gary, Hobart and Michigan City.

This webinar has already passed, watch the video recording.

FINANCING CLIMATE RESILIENT WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

Thursday, February 21 2019 @11:00 am central/noon eastern
In partnership with the Mayors Innovation Project

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and the Mayors Innovation Project are hosting a webinar to provide an overview of financing needs and existing/emerging options for water and stormwater infrastructure for municipalities. Over the last four decades, financing of water infrastructure has drastically changed so far as the source of the money: from primarily federal funding to primarily local and state funding. Especially in light of climate related meteorological changes, the investment gap between what is needed and what is available, continues to grow. To find out more and view the presenters, click register now.

This webinar has already passed, watch the video recording. See below for the panelist presentations.

1. Sanjiv Sinha, VP – ECT and Director – P3GreatLakes.org
   Presentation: Financing Climate Resilient Water Infrastructure
2. Eric Letsinger, CEO – Quantified Ventures
   Environmental Impact Bonds
3. Cherian George, Managing Director – Fitch Ratings and Member – Forbes’ National Infrastructure Council
   Financing Infrastructure in the 21^st Century

Keynote Speaker 1: Dan Egan

Dan Egan, Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Freshwater Sciences
Watch here the video of Dan Egan in conversation with Dave Ullrich.

Panel 1: Resilience Solutions for Flooding and Extreme Weather

John Dickert, Former Mayor of Racine and President/CEO of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
1. John Dickert Presentation

Bill Schleizer, President and CEO of Delta Institute
2. Bill Schleizer Presentation

Claudia Verno, Director of Policy, Insurance Bureau of Canada
3. Claudia Verno Presentation

Panel 2: Municipal Liability Related to Extreme Weather

Teresa Chan, Senior Attorney, Environmental Law Institute
1. Teresa Chan Presentation

Brian Kelly, Manager of Sustainability, Region of Durham
2. Brian Kelly Presentation

Panel 3: Coastal Resilience Solutions for Shoreline Municipalities

Mayor Marc Parent, Mayor of Rimouski
1. Marc Parent Presentation

Julie Kinzelman, Research Scientist, City of Racine
2. Julie Kinzelman Presentation

Mike Donahue, Vice President of Water Resources and Environmental Services, AECOM
3. Mike Donahue Presentation

Cameron Davis and Peter Ventin

Cameron Davis and Peter Ventin, Vice Presidents, GEI Consultants

To view this presentation, please contact Jane Eagleton at jane.eagleton@glslcities.org.

Panel 4: Tech Solutions for Climate Resilience

Lance Watkins, Science Systems and Applications, Inc. NASA DEVELOP Center Lead
1. Lance Watkins Presentation

Loch McCabe, Founder, Energy Emissions Intelligence, LLC, and project team member of the American Water Works Association Water Utility for Energy Change
2. Loch McCabe Presentation

City to City Partnerships Panel

• Mayor Serge Peloquin, City of Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
• Deputy Mayor Jarkko Virtanen, City of Turku, Finland and the Union of Baltic Cities

Public Private Partnerships Panel

• Steven Hobbs, Canadian Council for Public Private Partnerships
• Pierre J. Hamel,  INRS Urbanisation

Keynote: Pierre Beland

Special Session: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

• Mayor Mike Vandersteen, City of Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Video: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Success Stories

Partnerships to Address Climate Change Panel

• Deputy Mayor Michelle Morin-Doyle, Quebec Metropolitan Community
• Kimberly Hill-Knott, Detroit Climate Action Collaborative
• Cindy Toth, Town of Oakville, Ontario
• Roger Lachance, City of Montreal, Quebec

Special Presentation: Sustainable Municipal Water Management in Montreal, Burough Mayor Chantal Rouleau

Intergovernmental Partnerships Panel

• Mayor Denis Lapointe, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield

Special Presentation: NASA-DEVELOP Program

• Jenna Williams, NASA-DEVELOP

Click here for webinar slide deck.

View recording of webinar below:

Click here for webinar slide deck.

View recording of webinar below:

Playlist: All 2016 Keynotes and Panels

Panel 1: Safe Drinking Water in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin

• Tom Neltner, Environmental Defense Fund
• Chantal Morissette, City of Montréal
• Paul Froese, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Ontario

Special Presentation: Climate Change and Coral Reefs, Doon McColl, Churchill Fellow

Panel 2: Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Innovation

• Megan Meaney, ICLEI Canada
• Paul J. Spicer, WEC Energy Group
• Fernando Carou, City of Toronto

Panel 3: Lake Erie Algae Updates, Programs and Impacts on Municipalities

• Karl Gebhardt, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
• Don McCabe, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
• Molly Flanagan, Alliance for the Great Lakes

Panel 4: Municipal Green Urbanism and Sustainability Initiatives

• Jill Jedlicka, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper
• Councillor Jim Tovey, City of Mississauga
• Deputy Mayor Michelle Morin-Doyle, Québec Metropolitan Community

Special Presentation: NASA-DEVELOP Program

Great Lakes Ecological Forecasting – Phragmites Habitat: Sean McCartney, NASA Develop National Program

Panel 5: Control Solutions for Phragmites

• Dr. Janice Gilbert, Ontario Phragmites Working Group
• Nancy Vidler, Lambton Shores Phragmites Community Group
• Heather Braun, Great Lakes Commission/Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative

• Introduction to Integrated Water Management (March 18th, 2015)
  • John Jackson, Greater Lakes Project
  • Bill Christiansen, AWE
  • Jim Ridgway, ECT

• Discussion on Integrated Water Management(April 1st, 2015)
  • John Jackson, Greater Lakes Project
  • Melissa Soline, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative

•  Making the Most out of Floodplain Buyouts (September 16th, 2015 – recording not available)
  • Rebecca Kihslinger, Environmental Law Institute
  • David Salvesen, University of North Carolina

• Advancing Integrated Water Management (October 14th, 2015)
  • John Jackson, Greater Lakes Project
  • Jim Ridgway, ECT Inc.
  • Becky Pearson, Great Lakes Commission

Panels

Nutrient Action Collaborative: Solutions to Protect Drinking Water

• Dr. Harvey Bootsma (University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee)
• Mayor Jim Ginn (Central Huron, ON)
• Bill Creal (Michigan Department of Environmental Quality)
• Elin Betanzo (Northeast-Midwest Institute)
• Recording: Nutrients Panel

Oil Transportation in the Great Lakes Region

• Recording: Oil Transportation
• Patrick Smyth (Vice President for Safety, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association)
• Normand Pellerin (Canadian National Railways)
• Robert Lewis-Manning (President, Canadian Shipowners Association)

Shoreline Restoration and Economic Activity: Challenges and Opportunities

• Recording: Shoreline Restoration
• Andre Morin (City Engineer, City of Sarnia, ON)
• Mayor Chantal Rouleau (Borough of Rivière-des-Prairies Pointe-aux-Trembles, City of Montreal)
• Mayor Mike Vandersteen (City of Sheboygan, WI)

Cities Initiative in the Community: Pilot Projects

• Recording: Pilot Projects
• Gary, Indiana: Sensitive Sites and Infrastructure Protocol (Brenda Scott-Henry, Director of Green Urbanism, City of Gary)
• Hamilton, Ontario: RBC Blue Water Project (Dr. Nahed Ghbn, Senior Project Manager, City of Hamilton)
• Thunder Bay, Ontario: RBC Blue Water Project (Brad Doff, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Thunder Bay)

Cities Initiative in the Community: Student Project Presentations

• Recording: Student Project Presentations
• NASA DEVELOP Program: Georgian Bay Wetland Mapping (Emily Adams, Project Leader, NASA-DEVELOP)
• University of Michigan: Climate Ready Cities (Alexandra Brewer and Samuel Molnar, Climate Ready Cities Team, University of Michigan)

Presentations

• Dr. John Hartig: Refuge Manager, Detroit International Wildlife Refuge
• Blue Economy Presentation: Tim Eder and Stephen Cole, Great Lakes Commission 
• Lynn Rosales, Aamjiwnaang First Nation (Recording Only)
• Douglas George, Consul General of Canada in Detroit (Recording Only)
• Highland Park, Illinois: 2014 Wege Award Recipient (Dr. Mark Nolan-Hill)

• Climate Adaption in Thunder Bay: by Nicola Crawhall
• NASA DEVELOP National Program: by Jamie Favors
• Great Lakes Plastic Pollution: by Dr. Sherri “Sam” Mason
• Harmful and Nuisance Algal Blooms in Lake Erie: by Michael Goffin
• Municipal Adaptation and Resiliency – Cities at the Forefront: by Heather Stirratt
• Municipal Adaptation and Resiliency Service
• Oil Transportation Risks and Emergency Response Problems: by Ali Asgary
• Pipeline Performance Building Trust and Raising the Bar: by Jim Donihee
• Pipelines and Oil Transportation in the Great Lakes: by the National Wildlife Federation
• Predicting Weather: by Amy Freeze
• Prehistory of the Great Lakes Region: by Ross
• Preparing the Great Lakes Region for Impacts of Climate Change: by Joel Scheraga
• Sustainable Municipal Water Management Public Reporting: by Tom Barrett
• There Goes the Neighborhood Recent History of the Upper Great Lakes: by Dr. Scott Hamilton
• Toward Sustainable Municipal Water Management: City of Montreal’s Report (English)

• Building Sustainable Economies: by Dennis West
• Climate Change Challenges Sustainable Energy Strategies: by Rich Vander Veen
• Climate Change Impacts on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Region: by John Lenters
• Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Trust – Community Environmental Monitoring Program: by Jerry Maynard
• Mining and Great Lakes Communities: by Mike Ripely
• Mining in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Region: by Steve Kesler
• Quebec Mayors Take Action: by Michelle Morin-Doyle
• Rio Tinto’s Eagle Mine: by Johnson
• Shoreline Mayors Take Action Low Water Levels: by Sandra Cooper
• Superior Watershed Partnership Land Trust: by Carl Lindquist
• Taking Action in Huron County Ontario Water Quality: by Mayor Deb Shewfelt
• The Economy and Sustainable Water: by Plastrik
• Thunder Bay Flood Disaster: Mayor Keith Hobbs

• Green Marine a Model for Collaboration: by David Bolduc (English) and Green Marine a Model for Collaboration (French)
• Auditing the Aquaresponsibility of a Municipality: by Peter Vanrolleghem
• International Joint Commission Presentation: by Commissioner Dereth Glance
• Lake Erie re-Eutrophication: by Don Scavia
• Port of Quebec Looking Towards the Future (English): by Mario Girard and Port of Quebec Looking Towards the Future (French)
• Shoreline Communities and Marine Activities (French): by Nicole Trepanier and Shoreline Communities and the Marine Activities Challenges and Opportunities (English)
• Smarter Planet Smarter Cities: by Jean Francois Barsoum
• St. Lawrence Action Plan (English): by Larochelle Morel and St. Lawrence Action Plan (French)

• Canadian Readiness and Response to Oil Spills from Vessels: Scott Vaughan and Jim McKenzie
• Assessing Climate Change Risk to Stormwater and Wastewater Infrastructure: by Ben Harding and Peter Nimmrichter
• Green Returns on Blue Investments, Investment in the Grand River: by Mayor George Heartwell
• Integration of DNA Diagnostics to Improve Water Quality: by Herb Schellhorn
• Marcellus Shale Gas Overview: by Kelly Burch
• Marine Prevention, Preparedness and Response Federal Mandates Canada: by Wade Spurrell
• Niagara 10 Cross Border Cities in Action
• Opportunities to Promote Innovative Stormwater Management: by Bulman
• Shale Gas – the Quebec Situation: by Normand Mosseau
• State of the Great Lakes Coasts: by John Marsden
• Talisman Shale Gas Overview: Hope Deveau-Henderson

• Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Tourism – Expanding the Territory: David Belgue
• Asian Carp Control in the Great Lakes: John Rogner
• Experiences from Union of Baltic Cities: by Jarkko Virtanen
• Canada Ontario Agreement: by Mayor Brian McMullan
• Elements of an Invasive Species Strategy: by John Carey
• Protecting and Restoring the Waters Montreal: by Helen Fotopulos
• Working Together to Improve Beaches and Coasts: by Mayor John Dickert
• Waterfront Trail Ontario: by Marlaine Koehler

Frozen Pipes Teleconference: Thursday, May 27th, 2015

• Kerri Marshall, City of Thunder Bay, and Paul Clements, City of Toronto, provided information about how their cities responded to the increase in calls about frozen water pipes during Winter 2015. A discussion among attendees followed.
• Presentations begin at 5:22

Additional Frozen Pipes Resources:

• Region of Peel
• City of Toronto

• Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products Webinar
  • Helen Domske, NY Sea Grant
  • Mari Martz, Pennsylvania Sea Grant
  • Robin Goettel, Terri Hallesy, Laura Kammin, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
• Pharmaceuticals Education Program
  • Robin Goettel, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
  • Terri Hallesy, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
• Creating Partnerships for Protecting Our Water Sources, Wildlife and Public Health
  • Anna McCartney, Pennsylvania Sea Grant

• Our Current Revenue Loss Dilemma: Is Consumer Conservation Really the Culprit?  (April 30, 2013)
  • Mary Ann Dickinson, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative

• Green Infrastructure for Great Cities: Urban Surfaces and Stormwater Green CiTTS Webinar (January 25, 2011)
  • Mayor Richard Daley, City of Chicago
  • Janet Attarian, Project Director Streetscape and Sustainable Design Program
• Environmental Issues Associated with the Use of Coal-Tar Based Sealants: A Minnesota Perspective (January 25, 2011)
  • Judy Crane, Environmental Analysis and Outcomes Division Minnesota Pollution Control Agency St. Paul, MN
  • Checklist for Municipalities to Develop Restrictions on Coal-Tar Based Sealcoat
• Redeveloping Vacant Land as Green Infrastructure in Great Lakes Cities
  • Geri Unger, Director of Education and Research Cleveland Botanical Garden
  • Sandra Albro, Research Manager Cleveland Botanical Garden
• The Value of Green Infrastructure
  • Hal Sprague, Senior Policy Associate Natural Resources, Center for Neighborhood Technology
• Stormwater Management in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Basin: Cities Charting the Water Forward (November 9, 2011)
  • Nicola Crawhall, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
• City of Grand Rapids Grand River Water Quality Monitoring (November 9, 2011)
  • Carrie Rivette

• MARS Training Overview
• Module 1: Climate Change and Adaptation in the Great Lakes (January 22, 2014)
• Moving Climate Change Forward: Key Lessons from the Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities (November 5, 2014)
  • Ashlee Grace, Project Manager, Great Lakes Adaptation Assessment for Cities
• Module 1B: Climate Adaptation Fundamentals and Models
• Module 2: Legal and Financial Implications of Climate Change (February 6, 2014)
• Potential Claims Against Municipalities Associated with Climate Change (November 19, 2014)
  • Jennifer M. Klein, Associate Director and Fellow, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law – Columbia Law School
• Social Vulnerability Index (December 3, 2014)
  • Dr. Susan Cutter, Department of Geography, University of South Carolina
• Module 5: Water Systems
• Adaptation for Water, Wastewater and Stormwater
  • Karen L. Sands, AICP, Manager of Sustainability Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
• Towards Extreme Weather Resilience: Working with the Electrical Sector (February 11, 2015)
  • David MacLeod, City of Toronto Environment and Energy Division
• Module 6: Infrastructure Networks
• Beyond the Storm: Risk Based Process and Tool to Enable Better Understanding and Management of Climate Change Risks
  • Vesna Stevanovic-Briatico, City of Toronto Transportation Services Division
• Module 7: Ports and Shoreline Management
• Coastal Climate Adaptation Planning: Case Studies and Tools for Great Lakes Communities (March 11, 2015)
  • Katie Kahl, PhD, The Nature Conservancy
• Module 1: Introduction to Climate Change Adaptation
• Module 2: Using the MARS Portal
• Module 3: Legal/Financial Implications of Climate Change
• Module 3: Responsibilities and Risk Management in a Changing Climate
  • Laura Zizzo, Zizzo Allan
• Module 4: Municipal Transportation Related Infrastructure
  • Kevin Behan
• Module 4: Municipal Transportation Related Infrastructure (February 20, 2014)
  • David MacLeod, City of Toronto Environment and Energy Division
• Module 5: Municipal Buildings and Land Use Planning
• Module 6: Vulnerable Populations
• Module 7: Urban Natural Systems
• Module 8: Wastewater Stormwater Infrastructure
• Module 9: Communicating and Collaborating around Climate Change Adaptation
• Ma Ville Ma Vie Alliance Ville et Grands Lacs