17th Annual International Conference on the
St. Lawrence River / Great Lakes Ecosystem

Protecting and Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems through
Government and Community Action
May 5-6th, 2010

Download a copy of the program (subject to changes)
 updated April 27(pdf)

Schedule at a glance
Tuesday, May 4

 Evening Public Forum (Room D101]
St. Lawrence River AOC Public Forum  7:00—8:30 pm
 Everyone Welcome!

Wednesday, May 5

Registration opens at 7:15 am

8:30 a.m Traditional Native Opening

9:00 - 9:40

Guest Speaker

Dr. Patricia A. Chambers,
Research Scientist & Chief - Human Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems Processes,
Environment Canada Title: Nutrients and Canadian waters: Linking Science and Decision-Making

A.M. Scientific Concurrent Sessions
9:50 - 12:20

Guest Speaker

Dr. John Casselman, Queen’s University, Department of Biology
Effects of climate and climate change on freshwater fish and fisheries: Driving environmental
factors and shifting baselines

P.M. Concurrent Scientific Sessions
2:10-5:00pm

5:30pm Tour of the River Institute
6:00 pm Evening fundraiser off site hot buffet wine and cheese reception
St. Lawrence College
7:30 pm Ethan Meleg, Nature photographer
at Cornwall Aultsville Theatre

Honourable John Gerretsen, Minister of the Environment 1:00 pm

Pollution and Poverty in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin: Making the Links between
Environmental Health, Equity, and Law

Theresa McClenaghan, Executive Director and Counsel, Canadian Environmental Law Association
GOVERNANCE ACROSS BORDERS: BUILDING SOLIDARITY IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER,
Alicia Ritchey, Linda Campbell and Jeff Ridal

 2:40- 4:00 pm

Panel Discussion
Achieving a sustainable Great Lakes St Lawrence: The need for an integrated shared vision for
governance and transboundary environmental management

Jeff Ridal. Executive Director, St. Lawrence River Institute,  Co-chairs

Dr. Ridal has devoted his career to the study of large water ecosystems, with particular
 interest in the source, transport, and effects of environmental contaminants. His research
 at the River Institute focuses on water quality issues and analyses specific to toxic substances, taste and odour compounds, and pathogens.   Dr. Ridal is an adjunct professor and graduate student
supervisor at both Queen’s and Ottawa Universities.   As Executive Director, Dr. Ridal oversees
 the management and coordination of the River Institute programs
and staff.

Marc Hudon, Director, Great Lakes/St-Lawrence program at Nature Quebec, Co-chairs

"A Great Lakes/St-Lawrence river ecosystemic vision and citizenry - Yes we must"

Mr. Hudon is retired… Self employed and Program director on Great Lakes and St-Lawrence river
Transboundary water issues at Nature Quebec; a National organisationdedicated to protecting the
biodiversity, forests, water management, to name a few. Mr.Hudon is President of the Saguenay river’s
Priority Intervention Zone Committee (Comité ZIP Saguenay). A regional multistakeholder concertation
committee active inrestoring and preserving the Saguenay river, the largest tributary to the St-Lawrence
river. Marc retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1994, where he was active in the environmental
sector for 21 years. He worked on hazardous material safety, contaminated soils, water and wastewater treatment Plants, recycling and waste management and much more. Mr. Hudon has acquired, a vast
expertise from his numerous postings across Canada on a variety of environmental issues and at
developing good relations between communities and governmental institutions. He was president of
Stratégies Saint-Laurent between 1994 and 2003; a Quebec national coalition active on the St-Lawrence
river responsible for the involvement of the shoreline communities on the co-sponsored federal-provincial
St-Lawrence river Action Plan. Marc is also president of the Regional Advisory Council on oil spills –
Quebec region.

Rick Findlay Pollution Probe "A sustainable future for the Great Lakes/St-Lawrence region".

Rick Findlay retired after almost a decade as Director of the
Water Programme of Pollution Probe, in July 2008. Rick found “retirement” is an evolving
concept, however and he is presently working as a part-time consultant, working mainly
on Great Lakes and water-related projects. Rick is also Vice-Chair and a Director of the
Canadian Water Network, a Canadian Network Centre of Excellence. more
 

Michael Twiss, Great River Center, Clarkson University

 Associate Professor of Biology, Michael Twiss (Hon. B.Sc., Trent; M.Sc., Toronto; Ph.D.,
Québec) is the Director of the Great Rivers Center at Clarkson University.  Twiss arrived at
Clarkson University in 2002 from Ryerson University, and following a postdoctoral
fellowship at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (1996-1998). Twiss' area of expertise is
 the Laurentian Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River ecosystem.  Current research seeks to
understand phytoplankton dynamics in the St. Lawrence River by applying advanced fluorimetric
 instrumentation. Additional projects involve investigations of plankton ecology during ice cover in
Lake Erie, and Hg interactions with plankton. Research is conducted in the field on research vessels and in laboratory using organisms isolated from the Great Lakes. Twiss has published 29 manuscripts since 2005;
his research has been awarded the Chandler-Misener award by the International Association for Great Lakes Research.  He is actively involved with the Remedial Advisory Committee of the St. Lawrence River at
Massena Area of Concern.. more                        

Theresa McClenaghan, Executive Director CELA

Appointed as Executive Director of CELA in November 2007, Theresa McClenaghan holds an LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario (1984), an LL.M. (constitutional law) from Osgoode Law School
(York University, 1999) and a diploma in Environmental Health from McMaster University (1999).  She is a
member of the Bars of Manitoba and Ontario.  Theresa has practised public interest environmental law,
both in private practice since 1985 and at the Canadian Environmental Law  Association as counsel
from 1998 to 2006.  From 2006 to 2007, Theresa was senior water policy
advisor to the Ontario Minister of the Environment where she was responsible for overseeing the
passage of the Clean Water Act, implementation of the remaining Walkerton Inquiry recommendations, establishment of water taking charges for commercial water takers, and passage of legislation to
implement in law the provisions of the Great Lakes Charter Annex.   Notable litigation has included
representation of Intervenors at the Supreme Court of Canada, Federal Court of Appeal and Ontario
 Court of Appeal on pesticide by-laws and the Oncomouse patent among others.  Theresa’s expertise in environmental law includes environmental health, water law and policy, energy law and constitutional law. Theresa, along with other lawyers at CELA, represented the Concerned Walkerton Citizens in both
parts of the Walkerton Inquiry.  She was CELA’s representative to several of the province of Ontario`s
advisory committees dealing with Source Protection and nutrient management after the Walkerton tragedy.  Theresa also has been author or co-author of various environmental law book chapters dealing with
water law, pesticides regulation and nuclear power regulation. 

Theresa lives in Paris, Ontario, with her husband and their four children ranging in age from 8 to 16 years.

 

M. Philippe Morel, Regional Director of Environment Canada-Quebec   

"Plan Saint-Laurent - 20 ans de collaboration réussie" - "St. Lawrence Plan -
Over 20 years of successful collaboration"

Mr. Philippe Morel has been Director General for the Quebec Region at Environment
Canada since 2008. He represents the Quebec Region's interests at the
Department level and contributes  in the delivery of national programs.
He also ensures a permanent links with private and public  partners and with key area stakeholders. 
Mr. Morel is very involved with the St. Lawrence, through among other things the co-management of the
Federal-Provincial Agreement on the St. Lawrence Plan. Before taking up the position of RDG at
Environment Canada, Mr. Morel held several senior EC positions in Quebec and at Headquarters,
as well as in the private sector, supporting the development of environmental technologies.  Mr. Morel
has a bachelor  of political science at the Université de Montréal, a law degree from the University of Ottawa and
is a member of the Barreau du Québec