WC146 JanFeb 2026 - Magazine - Page 5
EDITOR’S NOTE
All in the Family
PROJECTS l POLICY l INNOVATION
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 • VOLUME 26, NUMBER 1
EDITOR
John Tenpenny
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER
Corinne Lynds
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Lauren Belayneh, Warren Frey
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Connie Vitello
ART DIRECTOR AND SENIOR DESIGNER
Gordon Alexander
CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS
Sophie Dennis Abro, Aaron Atcheson,
Saul Chernos, Claire Foran, Robert Haller,
Sadaf Mehrabi, Laura Mirabella,
Sasha Sheludko, Monica Siedel
WATER CANADA ADVISORY BOARD
Stephen Braun, Melissa Dick, Gregary Ford,
Jon Grant, Robert Haller, Linda Li,
Michael Lywood, Eric Meliton, Ranin Nseir,
Terry Rees, Emily Stahl
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EVENTS & MARKETING COORDINATOR
Min Do
AGENCY DIRECTOR
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PRESIDENT
Todd Latham
PUBLISHER
Nick Krukowski
ADVISOR
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MY FIRST MONTH as the new editor of Water Canada was a whirlwind of activity that included attending our annual Water Canada
Awards event in Toronto, and a trip to Victoria for my inaugural
National Water and Wastewater Association (NWWA) Conference.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that the water community
in this country is one big family. From a constant flow of people congratulating
me on my new job—and pitching me story ideas—to the camaraderie at both
events, I quickly found myself drinking from the same tap.
What hit me first was the quality and dedication of the people in the Canadian
water industry. The recipient of the 2025 Career Champion award is only one
example.
With over four decades of leadership across five continents, Valerie Jenkinson
has made an extraordinary global impact on the water sector. As founder and chair
of Operators Without Borders, she leads emergency deployments and technical
training programs that support disaster recovery and capacity building in vulnerable regions. She is also the CEO of World Water and Wastewater Solutions Ltd.,
one of Canada’s largest water-sector training firms, providing over 70 accredited
courses and certification preparation to professionals across the country. While
not able to receive her award in person, I had the chance to meet Valerie at the
NWWA Conference where she graciously shared her expertise at our Downstream
event. It was one of three networking sessions held this Fall. These unique gatherings make space for discussion and connection between students, early-career
professionals and water industry experts.
Each event offers several 15-minute roundtable discussions with experts across
disciplines like municipal planning, conservation, research, engineering, advocacy
and more. These conversations gave students and early-career professionals the
opportunity to ask questions and hear about real-life water sector challenges while
gaining an understanding of potential career pathways to pursue.
In the first event, hosted in partnership with River Institute in Cornwall, Ont.,
the River Institute led a hands-on water testing demo. Participants compared river
and tap water samples, sparking conversations about water quality and stewardship.
At Toronto Metropolitan University in November, the final Downstream event
of 2025 brought an even larger roster of experts—ranging from municipal water
managers and provincial regulators to engineers and non-profit leaders—creating a
dynamic mix of perspectives and experience.
Within the first hour of the NWWA event, I was blown away by the passion
shown by the attendees, led by Canadian Water and Wastewater Association executive director Robert Haller.
“If we make mistakes, people die,” he said in his opening remarks, referencing
the 25th anniversary of the Walkerton tragedy.
That remark underscored the importance of water and how seriously all those
involved take their roles in protecting this precious resource. I’m proud and honoured to be a member of this important family.
John Tenpenny is the editor of Water Canada and ReNew Canada. john@sitemediagroup.com
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