TRACK 2, DAY 2
Constructing Streams – Changing Approaches and Lessons Learned from 10+ Years of Public Consultation
ABSTRACT
In Canada, large stream restoration projects are becoming more common, but 10 years ago they were relatively rare.
This presentation will explore the changing approaches to consulting the public about upcoming stream restoration projects in an urban setting. We will explore the changing use of technology in public consultation including the pros and cons of virtual sessions. The challenges of communicating the need for, and the proposed outcomes of, these landscape altering projects will be described.
Stantec and City of Kitchener staff will be using project examples in the City of Kitchener to describe the evolution of the stream restoration project consulting processes. Lessons learned over a decade of public consultation on stream restoration projects will be shared.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Heather Amirault, Stantec Consulting Inc.
Heather is a Water Resources Engineer at Stantec Consulting Ltd. She specializes in the areas of stream rehabilitation using natural channel design and in geomorphic assessment.
Her recent projects include the restoration of Montgomery Creek in Kitchener, ON, the restoration of a salmon channel in Kentville, Nova Scotia after it was buried by a landslide, and the realignment of two watercourses for a Project in Milton, ON.
Heather has worked on stream restoration and assessment projects across Canada and in the US.
Steve Brown, Stantec Consulting Inc.
Steve is a Senior Water Resources Engineer at Stantec Consulting Ltd., responsible for leading and/or advising on surface water resources assignments in Ontario and across Canada.
Steve’s expertise includes various aspects of water resources engineering including subwatershed and drainage studies, environmental assessments, stormwater management planning and design, stream rehabilitation works, and floodplain management analyses.
His recent projects include the restoration of Montgomery Creek in Kitchener, ON, floodplain mapping for the South Saskatchewan River through Corman Park, SK, and the Class EA for the Naturalization of Schneider and Shoemaker Creeks in Kitchener, ON.
Sarah Anderson, City of Kitchener
Sarah Anderson lives in the Grand River watershed on land situated in the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg and Neutral peoples.
She has been an Engagement Associate with the Sanitary and Stormwater Utilities at the City of Kitchener since the role was created in 2022.
Before that, she worked in community development in the municipal and non-profit sectors. In 2015, she completed a Masters’ thesis on immigrants’ water knowledge and priorities in Waterloo Region