With water and how it is managed on the minds of many Albertans, the provincial government has stepped forward, scheduling “facilitated water conversations” in 20 communities from across the province, taking place over the next month and a half.
Among the communities included in the conversation is the MD of Bonnyville. On Feb. 28, starting at 5:30 p.m., the public is invited to Willow Prairie Hall in LaCorey to participate in the conversation, which according to the provincial government, will help form the policies that will manage Alberta's water for the future.
Although the focus of the conversations will be on four major themes, including water management, hydraulic fracturing, drinking water/wastewater, and healthy lakes, participants are welcome to raise any concerns regarding water they might have.
“We want to hear all sides of the water conversation,” said Wayne Wood, press secretary for the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. “We aren't limiting the conversation by facilitating it, we're offering some structure to the discussions.
“We expect to hear great ideas and solutions to problems we're facing,” said Wood. “The information collected will be vital to future water planning and management decisions.”
Representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development will be in attendance at each conversation.
MLA for Bonnyville-Cold Lake Genia Leskiw said she is happy that a public conversation about water with residents of Alberta and the provincial government is starting.
“Water is so important and brings a lot of different concerns,” said Leskiw. “This is a good first step, opening the discussion up to the public to hear the concerns of everyone.
“We have to wrap our heads around all the water issues before we can move forward and I think this is one way of doing that.”
For those not able to attend a conversation in one of the 20 communities, the government has opened up the lines of communications to keep everyone involved.
There is literature to read and a workbook to complete, as well as links to follow the discussion on Twitter and the ministry's blog, all of which are available on the Government of Alberta's Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) website.
People can also find dates of the conversations in all 20 communities as well as an email address, which can be used to provide feedback, on the ESRD site. The site's specific address is http://environment.alberta.ca/04132.html.
