June 18, 2026
by: Aiah Schielke, BRWA, Environmental Program Coordinator Print Version
Battle River Watershed Alliance kicked off anniversary celebrations at the AGM, OTIS Awards, and WOW (Waste in Our Watershed) Wetaskiwin Bus Tour on June 18th. It was a wonderful day with good conversation, community, and food! Thank you to the guest speakers and everyone who attended the event.
Check out the 2025-2026 Annual Report
We are pleased to announce that Leonard Standingontheroad, with the blessing of the Montana First Nation Council, will take on the role of Honorary River Keeper and Co-Chair of the Land and Water Committee, a sub-committee of the Board of Directors.
Sharing Stories of Stewardship
Special shoutout to the guest speakers who shared their expertise and knowledge, including the WOW tour guides from the City of Wetaskiwin and the Aquaterra: Brett, Bob, Babatunde, Mike, Moe, and Yousef.
Danilo Francoso, Cargill Plant Manager at the Camrose Crush Plant, shared information about Cargill’s stewardship initiatives including measures to reduce, reuse and conserve water. Shaleigh Raine shared the Louis Bull Tribe’s Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment and implementation Strategies, Kallum McDonald, a biologist and independent consultant highlighted terrestrial and aquatic native and invasive species. Did you know that there are twelve carnivorous plant species in the province. As it sounds, these are plants that eat bugs! To end the day, Sarah Skinner shared a presentation on Northern Leopard Frogs created by Tacey Robertson, a Community Service Learning student from Augustana Campus, University of Alberta.
We also learned a great deal about local waste water systems from our Board members Peter Pullishy, and Leonard Standingontheroad. Both have worked in the field.
Recognizing Staff
At the AGM, we recognized Sarah, Sheila and Susanna, for their long standing commitment to the organization. Each has been with BRWA for 15 or more years. Their knowledge of the watershed and longstanding relationships with water partners. They have mentored many of the season staff, contributed their unique talents to watershed management planning and stewardship. We are fortunate to have these dedicated stewards guiding our work in the Battle River and Sounding Creek Watersheds.
Stewards in our Community
It has become tradition to host the annual Otis Awards in conjunction with the AGM. The awards started in 2012, recognizing individuals, families, youth, businesses and organizations who are Outstanding In Stewardship. There have been 49 recipients, exemplifying the values and actions essential for the sustainability of the watershed and community.
2025 Award Recipient Across Four Categories of Stewardship
Agriculture: Erin & Casey Murphy-Thompson, Thompson WP Farms
Individual: Anjah Howard
Organization: Louis Bull Tribe (accept by Shaleigh Raine)
Youth: Laurie Philips & Terrace Ridge Elementary School
Learn more about this year’s OTIS Award recipients!
Bridges in the Battle River & Sounding Creek Watersheds
At this year’s AGM, we also debuted a video featuring the bridges across the Battle River and Sounding Creek watersheds. The inspiration for the photo essay came from the BRWA’s 20th anniversary committee. This is a communities stories project to capture the meaningful intersections between the natural landscape, our communities, and the built infrastructure in these watersheds.
Until Next Year
Many thanks to our Board of Directors, members, partners, guest speakers and staff that made this milestone possible! The AGM & 20th Anniversary WOW Bus Tour was made possible with funding from:
Stay tuned for more activities celebrating our 20th anniversary!
