Presenters, Elmvale Water Festival 2010

Bob Sandford is the EPCOR Chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative in support of United Nations "Water for Life" Decade. This national partnership initiative aims to advance long-term water quality and availability issues in response to climate change in this country and abroad. In this capacity, Bob also sits on the Advisory Committee for the prestigious Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy.

Bob is also the Director of the Western Watersheds Climate Research Collaborative, a not-for-profit research institute that promotes understanding of climate impacts on river systems originating in the Rocky Mountains. Bob is an associate of the Centre for Hydrology at the University of Saskatchewan and also offers scientific research analysis and interpretation for the Alberta Water Research Institute. In addition Bob sits on the Expert Panel for the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy that is presently focusing on Canadian water policy. He is also a member of the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation's expert Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW). He is an advisor to Unilever Canada on its "Go Blue!" water conservation program and was recently appointed a Fellow of the Biogeoscience Institute at the University of Calgary.

Bob's second book on water issues in Canada, Water Weather & the Mountain West, was published by Rocky Mountain Books in the fall of 2007. His third book on water, Restoring the Flow: Confronting the World's Water Woes, was published by Rocky Mountain Books in the fall of 2009. His latest book, Cold Matters: The State & Fate of Canada's Freshwater Resources will be published in the spring of 2011.

Email: sandford[at]telusplanet[dot]net

James Gordon is the co-founder of the Wellington Water Watchers, a group based in Guelph ON that has had a major impact on water stewardship, promoting tap water, monitoring the water taking activities of the nearby Nestle Water Bottling plant, and initiating their ground-breaking Message In The Bottle Campaign that by next year will place 40,000 refillable stainless steel water bottles in the hands of students across the county. Nationally known as a singer-songwriter, playwright, director, producer and activist, Gordon has recorded over 40 CDs filled with songs that often have a social justice, environmental or heritage theme. He was a songwriter-in-residence with CBC radio for 12 years, and in his own community was the founding president of the Hillside Festival, the Guelph Civic League, The Family Mental Health Network and the Guelph Arts Platform.

Email: james[at]jamesgordon[dot]ca