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About the Ontario Headwaters Institute
Formed in 2003, the Ontario Headwaters Institute works for the preservation of headwaters in Ontario through education and community engagement.
For several years, the province has been moving aggressively to improve water protection. Key initiatives have included renewed efforts to inventory water resources, the passage of the Clean Water Act (2006) with its establishment of source water protection initiatives, and Ontario’s signing of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement of 2007.
In spite of the progress represented by these initiatives, Ontario’s headwaters remain especially vulnerable.
Pressures include:
- Reductions in aquifer recharge and the loss of headwater streams through expanded development and agricultural activities;
- The prospect of increased water-takings for a growing population and expanding industry;
- Fundamental alterations in the hydrological regime due to climate change, affecting
everything from precipitation and evaporation
patterns to the timing of the aquatic nutrient
cycle and aquifer recharge rates; and,
Potential outcomes include the loss of wetlands,
reduced infiltration to and discharge from aquifers,
falling water tables, reduced base-flow and
mid-summer dry conditions for streams and rivers,
lower water levels in lakes, reductions in biodiversity,
a reduction in water availability for ground-water-
dependant communities, and either reduced drinking
water supplies and/or increased costs and pump to
purify drinking water. |
The 2006-2007 annual report of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Reconciling our Priorities, noted several ways in which the province’s current approach to protecting our freshwater capital is not sustainable, particularly due to inadequacies of land use planning in Southern Ontario. See www.eco.on.ca
In 2007, the fourth assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identified freshwater as the most vulnerable ecosystem on the planet. Although that assessment focuses primarily on sea-level rise making coastal waters brackish and the disappearance of headwaters from glaciers, Ontario’s inland water will also be affected.
For more information, see both Programs and Library.
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The Ontario Headwaters Institute is dedicated to developing programs and working with all sectors to identify, quantify, and preserve our headwaters – the sources of our streams, lakes, and groundwater.
Board Members and Staff
As of November 10, 2008, the Board and Staff at the Institute consist of:
| Members of the Board |
Nancy Penny, President |
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Janet Klees, Secretary |
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Jacques Carrier, Treasurer |
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Bob Duncanson |
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| Executive Director |
Andrew McCammon |
Click here for Board and Staff Bios.
Contact Information
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Andrew McCammon -
Executive Director
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| Phone |
416 231 9484 |
| E-mail |
Andrew@ohwi.ca
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| Mailing Address |
The Ontario Headwaters Institute
4 Wisteria Road
Toronto, ON, M1R 4X8 |
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