ESAA Board of Directors
Final List of Nominees
The ESAA Board of Directors is pleased to announce the final slate of candidates for the upcoming Board of Directors election to be held at the ESAA AGM on April 1st, 2025 at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.
There will be three (3) positions open for the ESAA Board of Directors, each for a three (3) year term.
Final List of Candidates
- ERICA ANDREW, Thurber Engineering
- VIVIAN BOND, Bureau Veritas
- ADAM DUNN, Earthmaster Environmental Strategies (I)
- KATIE OLIVER, KBL Environmental
- SCOTT PURVES, Montrose Environmental (I)
- MYKE STERCL, Worley Consulting
*(I) Incumbent
Proxy: If you are the main contact of a full member or sole proprietor member and are unable to attend the AGM, you can assign a proxy to represent you. The proxy can be anyone that will be in attendance (another member, co-worker, ESAA Board Member of ESAA Executive Director. Please complete the Proxy and return to Erin Ciezki at the ESAA Office (ciezki@esaa.org). On the proxy you can indicate your 3 choices for the Board Election from the list below.
ESAA Environmental Summit
April 1-3, 2025
Kananaskis Mountain Lodge
Final Program Now Available – Starts in 3 weeks – Register Now
The 2025 ESAA Environmental Summit (‘The Summit’) will feature all of the things you expect from an ESAA event: great talks, great location and
great networking.
The 2025 edition will take place at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. The completely modern getaway nestled amidst the pines and mountains. Room rates at the Lodge start at $255.00 + taxes.
The format will be a series of nine (9) panel discussions over the two-days of the conference, two networking receptions and two great keynotes. Full event details can be found at: https://esaa.org/summit/
Registration is now OPEN. Early bird rates end February – Register now at: https://esaa.org/summit/register/ ** Day passes are also available (limited quantity)
Sponsorship is now OPEN. See our the website for all sponsorship opportunities https://esaa.org/summit/sponsors/
ESAA truly appreciates your support of world-class events and looks forward to welcoming you to ‘The Summit’ at the amazing Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.
RemTech 2025
October 15-17, 2025
Fairmont Banff Springs
Call for Abstracts / Early Bird Registration – 45% Sold Out
ESAA is pleased to announce that early bird registration is open for the 24th edition of RemTech.
RemTech 2025 will feature technical talks, 2 receptions, 55 exhibits, networking opportunities and three great keynotes.
Keynotes:
Opening Keynote
Robert Bilott, Environmental Lawyer
Robert was instrumental in the lawsuit against Dupont over PFAS exposure in a community in West Virginia and resulted in a $1B settlement against Dupont and the basis of the movie – Dark Waters.
Thursday Lunch Keynote
Kate Moore – Author of Radium Girls
The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the “wonder” substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
Friday Lunch Keynote
Julie Angus – Explorer, Scientist, Author
First person / Woman to row solo across the Atlantic.
Registration
Early Bird Registration is Now Open. Registration details at: https://esaa.org/remtech/register/ Register Early and Save. (
Call for Abstracts
Complete details for the 2025 call for abstracts is available at: https://esaa.org/remtech/call-for-abstracts/. Submission deadline is June 13th, 2025.
Sponsors / Exhibitors
For sponsorship & exhibitor information contact Lorrine Hamdon, lorrine@tl2.ca
Hotel Reservations
The Fairmont Banff Springs will be accepting reservations shortly. Accommodations for RemTech™ 2025 delegates start at $289 per night plus $16 resort fee (tipping of bell and housekeeping not required) per night depending on the type and occupancy of the room. Rates do not include taxes and surcharges. Rate also includes 1 free drink (per room) at any Fairmont Banff Springs bar (valid during RemTech, October 15-17, 2025). Full details available soon along with the reservation link.
Full RemTech 2025 details can be found at: https://esaa.org/remtech/
Thank you for your continued support!
Increasing land conservation in Alberta
Alberta’s government is partnering with farmers and ranchers to protect 21,000 acres across the province.
Landowners are committed to protecting their land, water and the plants and wildlife that live there, while still being able to provide for their families. Alberta’s government remains committed to working alongside landowners, while growing the economy and protecting the environment.
As a result of a request for proposal (RFP) issued in 2024, $5 million in grant funding through the Land Trust Grant Program will be awarded to 19 different projects, protecting nearly 21,000 acres across the province. These 19 projects are helping landowners and land trusts protect Alberta’s natural landscapes without disrupting the livelihoods that hard-working families rely on.
“Alberta farmers and ranchers are natural environmental stewards of their lands. This funding helps provide the support needed to preserve their lands for future generations, all while ensuring they can continue to provide for their families, keeping food on our tables and our economy strong.”
These projects, which come from funding allocated in 2024-25, will protect important areas like watersheds, riparian areas and grasslands while ensuring an area roughly the size of Airdrie, when combined, can still be economically productive agricultural lands. Alberta’s government is also reviewing its private land conservation program to identify even more opportunities to work with Albertans and sustainably conserve the province’s diverse natural landscapes.
“We have been watching the conservation momentum in the Rosebud Conservation Area grow over the years and admire the leadership of the landowners. My great grandfather homesteaded on this land in 1897, and we felt it was our time to safeguard the legacy of our farm. A perpetual conservation easement is the perfect solution to accomplish our vision.”
These areas will provide important habitat corridors, support healthy watersheds and protect the habitats of endangered species. Projects include a conservation site in Red Deer County that will help to reduce wetland loss and protect critical habitat for species at risk, like a species of bumblebee and swallow. Further north, there is a project in Lac Ste. Anne County with virtually untouched habitat made up of shrubby swamps, seasonal marshes and open water wetlands that will support a healthy watershed. Another project near Cypress Hills Provincial Park will help support native grasslands and the local watershed.
“This program, unique in Canada, allows land trusts in partnership with landowners to ensure Alberta’s irreplaceable landscapes are conserved forever. Thanks to the leadership of the Alberta government, we can safeguard working agricultural landscapes, including precious native grasslands, key habitat and connecting corridors for wildlife, and protect clean water supply and drought resilience. The Land Trust Grant Program is a unique and amazing catalyst for voluntary conservation, delivering durable protection while maintaining open spaces that that are core to our culture and to our agriculture and tourism industries.”
Quick facts
- Since 2019, the Land Trust Grant Program has awarded more than $50 million to land trust organizations, helping conserve more than 142,000 acres of private land.
- Alberta-based land trusts work with landowners who are interested in protecting their land.
- Land trusts work with the landowner and then apply for funding through the Land Trust Grant Program within Environment and Protected Areas.
- The projects are evaluated, and funding is awarded based on guidelines that align with Alberta’s long-term conservation goals.
AER: Review Estimated Liability Before Issuance of Orphan Fund Levy
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is targeting issuance of the 2025/26 orphan fund levy on April 1, 2025. Wells, facilities (including oilfield waste management facilities), and pipelines will have their estimated liability included in the calculation of the annual levy. The formula in section 16.530(1) of the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules (opens in new window) will be updated before the issuance of the 2025/26 orphan fund levy since it will no longer be calculated using the liability management rating.
Recent updates occurred as part of the ongoing implementation of the Liability Management Framework (see Bulletin 2025-04), including Directive 011: Estimated Liability, which describes how estimated liability will be determined, including the estimation methods and when liability changes. Additionally, appendix 1 of Directive 011 sets out licence types that are eligible for Orphan Well Association orphaning and the licence types included in the calculation of the orphan fund levy. Leading up to the issuance of the 2025/26 levy, licensees can use the daily liability assessments available in the OneStop Liability Assessment Report along with appendix 1 of Directive 011 to review licences that will be included in the orphan fund levy calculation.
Through use of a new Groundwater Protection Missing Information form in OneStop (opens in new window), Directive 011 now enables licensees to submit missing cementing information. As outlined in section 5.1.1.2 of Directive 011, if the groundwater is not protected, a groundwater protection estimated liability cost is added. Once the AER receives the form and reviews the information, if appropriate, the AER will remove this additional estimated liability cost.
Information that could affect estimated liability as identified in Directive 011 must be submitted on or before March 26, 2025, to be considered in the calculation of the 2025/26 orphan fund levy, including groundwater protection, abandonment notifications, or submissions under the Conditional Adjustment of Reclamation Liability Program. Submissions made after this date will not be considered. Once the levy is issued, licensees will be able to view the specific licences and estimated liability used to calculate their 2025/26 orphan fund levy through the OneStop Liability Assessment Report.
If you have any questions, contact our Customer Contact Centre by phone at 1-855-297-8311 or by email at inquiries@aer.ca.
B.C. mine penalized $54K for discharging contaminated wastewater near Alaska border
(Source: BIV.com) A B.C. mining company has been penalized more than $54,000 after it failed to prevent contaminated wastewater from discharging into the environment.
The penalties, levied to Ascot Resources Ltd. (TSX:AOT) under the B.C. government’s Environmental Management Act, outline several permit breaches at the company’s Premier Gold Project near the B.C.-Alaska border.
In her final determination, director of the Environmental Management Act Gwenda Laughland said the contraventions violated a “fundamental pillar of the regulatory regime” and were severe enough to be categorized as “major” contraventions.
Ascot took over operation of the mine 25 kilometres north of Stewart, B.C., in 2018, about two decades after it had been sent into care and maintenance.
As part of its permit to re-open gold and silver mining operations, the publicly traded company was required to upgrade a treatment plant that could handle any wastewater from a historic tailings dam and its renewed operations.
But in June 2022, construction on the treatment plant — alongside several wastewater monitoring stations — was halted after the company lost financing.
Company says high levels of contaminants were there for years
Starting in late 2022, testing found water contaminated with cadmium, copper and zinc at levels that exceeded the mine’s permit. Of the 14 breaches, five were found to exceed the permit limit by more than 660 per cent.
Each of the metals can be toxic to aquatic and human health, with chronically toxic levels of zinc capable of killing fish by destroying their gill tissues or triggering deadly levels of stress.
On April 29, 2024, the ministry issued an initial assessment of more than $325,000 in combined environmental penalties.
The initial assessment also included alleged breaches against the company for releasing toxic water from a tailings dam 14 times in June 2022.
Mine tailings are drowned in water to keep them from reacting. When they are exposed, they react with air, acidify and can leach metals into surrounding environments.
In submissions, Ascot defended its track record. During the construction delays, it claimed the old wastewater treatment plant was still operational, and that the water that was released into the environment was “well within historical ranges.”
Ascot said such high penalties were unreasonable for an old mine that had been releasing contaminated water at the same levels for years before it took over operations.
The company said it was “being penalized multiple times for essentially the same non-compliance” beyond its control. It asked for the penalties to be completely removed or substantially reduced.
A spokesperson for the company declined to comment.
Ascot has faced significant financial problems in recent years after acquiring the Premier mine and several other nearby deposits, including the recently fast-tracked Red Mountain project.
Ascot first poured gold at its Premier mineral project in April 2024. But since then it has not generated enough revenue to offset what ended up being lower grades of ore from one of its operational mines.
By September 2024, the company’s ore production had fallen behind schedule, prompting Ascot to suspend operations so it could catch up with mine development.
Today, Ascot owes tens of millions of dollars to creditors, including $8 million that is more than 90 days past due — a situation the company recently described as “serious financial difficulty.”
In her ruling, director Laughland said the company’s financing difficulties do not absolve them from meeting its permit requirements. But it is “context worth considering,” she acknowledged.
In her final determination, Laughland consolidated the recurring penalties connected to the wastewater plant and lack of monitoring. That led to a steep six-fold reduction in penalties to the company — to $54,000 from an initial $325,000.
Part of that reduction came after the company said it had completed work on the new wastewater plant in February 2024. Laughland said there was enough evidence that it had returned to compliance.
She cancelled the penalties connected to the tailings pond and significantly dropped the penalties initially levied against the company for economic benefit it derived from its failures.
Across B.C., an estimated 200 mine sites are currently contaminating or could pollute their surrounding environment, according to Nikki Skuce, co-chair of B.C. Mining Law Reform.
In 2022, a report commissioned by Skuce’s organization found nearly half of the province’s existing mine sites with tailings storage facilities are likely to have high, very high or extreme consequences in the event of dam failure.
Among sites currently inactive or undergoing maintenance, 46 per cent were found to have the potential to cause loss of human life, environmental fallout, or significant economic damage. For currently operational or proposed tailings dams, that potential jumped to 83 per cent, found the report.
In 2014, B.C.’s Mount Polley tailings dam failed, pouring over 24 million cubic metres of toxic sludge into the surrounding waterways in North America’s biggest such failure on record.
Short of a major event like that, Skuce said the Ascot case raises questions over how effective B.C.’s regulatory regime is at dissuading polluters.
“It raises concerns about the penalty system we have — the ability to negotiate and reduce fines because of economic reasons — isn’t OK,” said Skuce.
“They’re already low as it is and they’re not deterring behaviour.”
Canada will add PFAS, which are linked to cancer and other health problems, to toxic substances list
(Source: CBC News) The federal government is moving to add PFAS, a class of thousands of chemicals used in a wide range of products from food containers to clothing, to the official list of toxic substances, in light of growing scientific and public concern about the substances in Canada and around the world.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals used for their water and heat resistant properties. They are widely used in many everyday products — such as packaging, cosmetics and textiles — along with industrial uses like water-repellent coatings and firefighting foam.
“What we’re doing is unprecedented, that we would use the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to not look at one substance… but to look at the entire family [of chemicals]. It’s never been done before,” said Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault in Montreal.
Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” PFAS have also increasingly been linked to human health problems, such as increasing cancer risk and causing reproductive issues. The same qualities that make them useful also make them very persistent in the environment, accumulating in water sources, animals and eventually human bodies.
The government released its final State of PFAS report, which details where and how the chemicals are used in Canada and their impact on people and health.
Today’s announcement will not immediately ban any new PFAS, but it will start a process to restrict them in the future. The government has started a 60-day consultation period required before adding PFAS to the toxic substances list.
“Once that listing is finalized, then the government can move ahead with regulations. And those would involve removing [PFAS] from products, removing it for things like firefighting foam, removing it from industrial uses,” said Elaine MacDonald, health communities director at the environmental law charity Ecojustice.
“And the plan they laid out today really doesn’t have a lot of timelines around what that might look like. So we will be pushing for them to do it as quickly as possible.”
First up, the government says it will look at restricting PFAS in firefighting foams. Then, it will look at PFAS in cosmetics, non-prescription drugs, food packaging, textiles and certain building materials, cleaning products and waxes and polishes.
Starting with firefighting foams is particularly important, according to Miriam Diamond, a leading PFAS researcher and professor at the University of Toronto.
“Millions of people around the globe are drinking PFAS-contaminated water because of the use of PFAS-containing aqueous firefighting foam. It’s most acute around airports, around military bases, around locations where there have been massive fires,” Diamond said.
“Other places in the world are moving away from it and are moving away from it quickly.”
Diamond’s lab has conducted research on PFAS being found in takeout containers, cosmetics and other products. She said given what’s already known about the spread and impacts of PFAS, the government needs to move much faster than the current phased plan.
“In the briefing today, government officials mentioned cosmetics, food packaging and textiles. Actually, they happen to be the three areas in which we’ve done work — on PFAS in Canadian cosmetics, food packaging and in textiles,” she said.
“The good news about our work was that half of those products didn’t contain PFAS. So there are alternatives or it’s not needed. Hence the government could be enacting restrictions right away on those products.There is no need for a Phase 2 in my eyes.”
Addressing the widespread use of these chemicals has become a global concern because of just how much of the substances humans have already been exposed to.
Researchers have found types of PFAS in fish caught from water bodies across North America; in the air, rain and water of the Great Lakes; in makeup, paper-based food packaging, feminine hygiene products; and clothing, such as school uniforms, rain jackets and children’s winter gloves.
As a result, almost all Canadians and Americans have PFAS in their bodies.
“It’s so ubiquitous in our economy. It is in so many different products,” MacDonald said.
“It’s going to take a long time to figure out how to remove it from everything.”
The new proposals allow for exemptions for certain PFAS based on whether there are feasible and cost-effective alternatives. That’s similar to the European Union, which proposed a ban on the use of PFAS in consumer products, with possible exemptions for some industrial uses.
The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada released a statement saying PFAS are “critical to a modern way of life,” and that in “many cases there are no known alternatives to these substances.”
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault announced on Wednesday that the federal government is proposing that PFAS be added to the list of toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Asked why Ottawa hasn’t moved faster to ban these substances, Guilbeault said the government is ‘trying to go as fast as we can within the confines of the laws and regulations.’
In the U.S., efforts to regulate the chemicals have suffered a setback. President Donald Trump’s new administration has withdrawn proposed PFAS discharge limits for industries. But states are taking their own actions.
Over half of U.S. states have taken legal action against PFAS manufacturers and users. Many states have passed legislation restricting PFAS in various products and introducing limits for the substances in drinking water.
“It is true that the U.S. administration is walking back on some of those commitments. But the good news is that there are a number of U.S. states that are maintaining their laws and regulations on these substances,” Guilbeault said, adding that he will work with those states and other countries on a common approach to tackling PFAS.
Columbia River Treaty negotiations paused, information session will answer questions
Yukon government continues work on removing lead from drinking water at 24 schools, programs
(Source: CBC News) Twenty-four schools and associated buildings in the Yukon have at least one drinking water source that exceeds the national guideline for maximum lead concentration, according to recent testing results.
Analysis of those results, the Yukon government said in a press release Tuesday, “do not suggest that students and staff at Yukon schools are being exposed to lead levels that would be considered a health risk.” However, work to remove or fix non-compliant water fixtures is underway and will continue through the spring.
The Yukon government tested the drinking water at the schools, as well as programs such as the Gadzoosdaa Student Residence and Teen Parent Centre in Whitehorse, between October and December 2024.
The results indicated that fixtures at eight Yukon schools and programs were all compliant with the maximum acceptable concentration laid out in Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. However, 10 had one fixture that needed “remediation, mitigation, or replacement,” eight had two to three non-compliant fixtures and six schools had five or more non-compliant fixtures.
The government, in Tuesday’s press release, said it was “committed to addressing schools’ immediate needs by continuing this remediation work in the coming weeks and months.” It also said it was continuing to develop a long-term school drinking water monitoring program.
The Yukon government has been tackling the issue of lead in school drinking water since last year, when two students at the Del Van Gorder School in Faro, while doing a science fair project, found that the drinking water there contained more lead than allowed under national drinking water guidelines.
The guidelines set the maximum acceptable concentration for lead at 0.005 mg/L, a standard last updated in 2019.
The Yukon previously tested school drinking water between 2018 and 2020, but followed a different national standard at the time that allowed a lead concentration of up to 0.02 mg/L.
The Faro students’ discovery prompted the government to review its old test results.
It found that a number of school water fixtures did not meet the lead standard set out in Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, though its unclear when or why the Yukon government switched from the standard it previously followed to the drinking water guidelines. The finding, however, triggered the fresh round of testing last year.
Lawyer tapped to study Giant Mine legacy comes with no ‘preconceived notions’
Yellowknives Dene First Nation welcomes Murray Rankin’s appointment, hopes for resolution
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Gary Anandasangaree named Murray Rankin as the ministerial special representative in a news release last week, saying Rankin’s “experience and knowledge will support future recommendations to address the harms that resulted from the Giant Mine operations.”
The mine operated near Yellowknife between 1948 and 2004. The site is one of the most contaminated in Canada. Since 2021, a $4-billion remediation project to clean up the site and contain 237,000 tonnes of highly toxic arsenic trioxide dust underground has been underway.
In a statement this week, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, which has been pushing for a federal apology and compensation for years, said it welcomes Rankin’s appointment and is hopeful for a resolution.
“The mine contaminated our core harvesting area. We no longer trust it as a safe place to harvest,” said Ndilǫ Chief Fred Sangris. “We will share our peoples’ message with Mr. Rankin that the damage is still felt today and will be felt for generations.”
Murray Rankin joined guest host Shannon Scott on CBC’s The Trailbreaker on Tuesday.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Why are you the right person for this job?
Well, I hope I’m the right person. I have had a long relationship with Minister Anandasangaree. We’ve done some, I think, pretty important things in British Columbia together on treaty making, for example, and reconciliation efforts. And I have worked as a lawyer with First Nations and with governments and with industry for a long time. I think the minister thought I might be able to give him advice and help to resolve this longstanding issue. It’s been going on for some 56 years of the mine’s operation, and then 20 years since, and there’s some significant issues that need to be addressed.
What are your goals for this position?
My goals are to do what the minister has asked me to do, namely to work with the communities affected. There are several First Nations, in particular the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, of course, but there’s Métis people as well, Tłı̨chǫ, and others that have been involved. The objective is to provide him with some very practical recommendations to try to address this longstanding problem. It’s been around, as you know, for so long and promises have been made over the years — not all of them appear to have been met.
So the idea is to come up with recommendations as to what extent the government of Canada bears responsibility. What are the specific impacts on the Indigenous peoples that were affected by the mine over the years, and to try to both heal the land and heal the people who were affected by this mine.
One of the agreements that hasn’t come to fruition yet around this is an apology and compensation. In 2021, the federal government signed an agreement to look into issuing that apology. What’s your understanding of why that hasn’t happened yet?
I’m trying to get to the bottom of that. You’re absolutely right. There was talk as well in 2021 of a negotiating table, they called it. And that was something that a former minister, Carolyn Bennett, committed to. That doesn’t appear to have got off the ground. The N.W.T. MP, Michael McLeod, had brought in a petition. It got, I think, like thousands of names, you know, 32,000 people signed it calling for that compensation and apology. So the government of Canada has been doing whatever they’ve been doing and there’s of course lots of work going on on the physical remediation, the environmental impacts of the contaminated site, but the impacts on the First Nations that were affected — it’s my job to try to find out what can be done about that.
I want to read a statement from Yellowknives Dene Chief Ernest Betsina about your appointment. He says “for decades we have advocated for an apology and compensation for the harms that our people have suffered as a result of Canada’s authorization and administration of Giant Mine. We are hoping for a resolution for our claim before more of our elders pass away.” Chief Betsina obviously wants a timely resolution. What is your timeline?
My timeline is, and I’ve been in correspondence with the Yellowknives Dene just yesterday, and I’m hoping to come up to Yellowknife in a week or so. I’ve got arrangements that are currently being made to meet him and his people and to discuss all of that.
I have the benefit of not really having spoken in the past, so I can hit the ground running with, if you will, a clean slate. My job is to report not to the public service, but to the minister himself and that I think gives me the opportunity to hear from them firsthand without any preconceived notions of what has happened or should happen.
On that note, given the longstanding calls for justice over Giant Mine, how do you plan to address any skepticism about this process?
Well, I hope I can, through the various conversations I have with a wide range of people, get to the bottom of it. There’s obviously different perspectives on what has been done and what should be done. So my job is simply to listen to all sides of the issue and to try to come up with my best advice, my independent advice to the minister.
Ultimately it’s the government of Canada that will have to decide what to do with my report. I will do that within the next few months. This has been, I think everyone agrees, taking far too long to get going and it’s my job to show action as quickly as I can. That’s why I’ve been immersed in trying to learn about this from reading. And now I have to get in, talk to the people who are directly affected, and that’s what I intend to do, beginning a week or so from now.
How long will you be in Yellowknife?
The initial trip, I expect to be there for a few days and then I’m going to, of course, be coming back because as you can imagine, there have been mountains of research and reports over the years and I’ve got to get to the bottom of that. It’s a significant learning curve for me.
Upcoming Events
ESAA 2025 Summit – Leadership Webinars
11:00 am – 12:00 pm (MST Time)
March 19th
Register Now
The 2025 ESAA Summit will be featuring a full Leadership Panel. Darel Baker with Keldar Leadership will be moderating that panel. Over the next few weeks Darel will be hosting a series of Pre-Summit Leadership Webinars to give you a teaser of what is to come. You don’t have to be registered for the Summit to attend and registration is FREE!
VIA ZOOM (Link will be send out 1 days prior – to the event)
Leadership is not about your title, it is a responsibility. Anyone at any level of an organization can display leadership and should be encouraged to grow their leadership abilities. In this 45 minute webinar we will explore the following:
– Why does a culture of leadership matter?
– What are the benefits in having leaders at all levels?
– How do we empower leadership?
-Where do we start?
Darel Baker, Co-Founder, Keldar Leadership
Darel specializes in meeting with Owners, Partners and Senior Leaders of organizations helping them identify solutions that will overcome challenges and help take them to the next level.
Through a discovery process with key individuals, clear plans of action are identified. The solutions identified are focused on aligning the actions of individuals and teams with the organizations overall objectives.
Prior to creating Keldar Leadership, Darel held leadership positions in the Private Sector, the Public Sector and the Not for Profit Sector. Having led management teams and other high performing teams with a number of companies and organizations Darel has overcome challenges and maximized strengths to help create success. Darel has had the opportunity to work with an incredibly diverse range of personalities and talents. Successful recruiting, hiring and development of team members have been keys to success throughout his career.
Darel is a 4th generation Albertan and grew up on a farm in central Alberta. Community service has always been important and currently Darel is actively involved on the Executive Committees of the Rotary Club of Edmonton and the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce
2025 ESAA Golf Tournament
8:45 am July 16th
Alberta Springs Golf Resort, Red Deer, AB
Registration Opens on MONDAY, March 24th at 10 am.
The ESAA Golf Tournament/Brian Winters Memorial is back for another year and will take place on July 16th.
The 2025 tournament will follow the same format of the 2024 golf tournament as it worked so well and everyone was pleased with the speed of play. Each golfer will receive a breakfast burrito and coffee upon arrival, coupons for a burger and beer at lunch and a BBQ Dinner at the completion of their round of golf.
Registration will open at 10 am on MONDAY, MARCH 24th!
Registration fees for Teams and Individuals
- Teams – $1,150
- Individuals – $300
Sponsorship
Currently all sponsorship opportunities for 2025 are sold out. Thank you to our amazing group of sponsors.
- Title Sponsor: North Shore Environmental Consultants
- Breakfast Sponsor: SITE Resource Group Limited
- Beer & Burger Sponsor: Osprey Scientific
- BBQ Dinner Sponsor: Waste Connections Canada
- Cart Sponsor: ALS Environmental
- Cooling Towel Sponsor: Earthmaster Environmental Consulting
- Putting Challenge: Identity Inc. Promo
- Hole Sponsors: AGAT Laboratories, ALS, Ambipar Response, BrettYoung, Bureau Veritas Laboratories, CARO Analytical Services, CD Nova, Element, ERNCO Environmental, JSK Consulting, North Shore Environmental Consultants, Remedx Remediation Services, R360 Environmental Solutions, Secure, Summit Fleet, SWAT Consulting, Terralogix Solutions, Trace Associates
Full tournament details at: https://esaa.org/golf/
WHAT’S NEW: This year there will be a prize for the “Best Dressed Team”! Last years “Dress Like Kevin” was so much fun and we had some incredible outfits. Let’s see what you’ve got for 2025.
We look forward to welcoming you back to the ESAA Golf Tournament.
Grasslands Restoration Forum Events
Full details at: https://grasslandrestorationforum.ca/news-events/
Bureau Veritas Environmental Sampling Training Program – Calgary
Mar 17, 2025
The 2025 Environmental Sampling Program is a Bureau Veritas introductory course developed for junior to intermediate environmental staff, and anyone interested in a refresher on practices and procedures for representative sample collection.
The program provides training on key stages in the lifecycle of an analytical project from a field perspective. It includes (1) Project Planning, (2) Sample Collection Procedures, (3) Sample Submission, (4) Sample Inspection, (5) Sample Prep and Analysis, (6) Data Reporting and (7) Data Interpretation. The content is delivered by Bureau Veritas, in a classroom type setting followed by a guided tour of Bureau Veritas’ local environmental testing laboratory.
Participants will receive training on:
- Regulatory requirements and industry best practices for the development of analytical project plans, as well as sample collection techniques
- How to collect representative environmental samples
- Impact of sampling technique to data quality
- How to properly collect soil and water matrix samples, including F1/BTEX in soils, VOCs in water, metals in water (dissolved phase) and F2-F4 hydrocarbons in soil
- How to properly fill out a Chain of Custody
- How to properly pack a cooler and submit samples to the laboratory
Why should you attend this program?
- To build a strong foundation of skills; the content addresses the “how” but also, very importantly”, the “why”
- To absorb condensed material, delivered in a format that makes it easy to remember
- To learn from qualified and experienced instructors in the field of site assessment and remediation
- This is one of the only training programs tailored specifically for environmental field staff
Website Link To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Bureau Veritas Environmental Sampling Training Program – Calgary
Mar 18, 2025
The 2025 Environmental Sampling Program is a Bureau Veritas introductory course developed for junior to intermediate environmental staff, and anyone interested in a refresher on practices and procedures for representative sample collection.
The program provides training on key stages in the lifecycle of an analytical project from a field perspective. It includes (1) Project Planning, (2) Sample Collection Procedures, (3) Sample Submission, (4) Sample Inspection, (5) Sample Prep and Analysis, (6) Data Reporting and (7) Data Interpretation. The content is delivered by Bureau Veritas, in a classroom type setting followed by a guided tour of Bureau Veritas’ local environmental testing laboratory.
Participants will receive training on:
- Regulatory requirements and industry best practices for the development of analytical project plans, as well as sample collection techniques
- How to collect representative environmental samples
- Impact of sampling technique to data quality
- How to properly collect soil and water matrix samples, including F1/BTEX in soils, VOCs in water, metals in water (dissolved phase) and F2-F4 hydrocarbons in soil
- How to properly fill out a Chain of Custody
- How to properly pack a cooler and submit samples to the laboratory
Why should you attend this program?
- To build a strong foundation of skills; the content addresses the “how” but also, very importantly”, the “why”
- To absorb condensed material, delivered in a format that makes it easy to remember
- To learn from qualified and experienced instructors in the field of site assessment and remediation
- This is one of the only training programs tailored specifically for environmental field staff
Website Link To Register:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Bureau Veritas Environmental Sampling Training Program – Grande Prairie
Apr 10, 2025
The 2025 Environmental Sampling Program is a Bureau Veritas introductory course developed for junior to intermediate environmental staff, and anyone interested in a refresher on practices and procedures for representative sample collection.
The program provides training on key stages in the lifecycle of an analytical project from a field perspective. It includes (1) Project Planning, (2) Sample Collection Procedures, (3) Sample Submission, (4) Sample Inspection, (5) Sample Prep and Analysis, (6) Data Reporting and (7) Data Interpretation. The content is delivered by Bureau Veritas, in a classroom type setting.
Participants will receive training on:
- Regulatory requirements and industry best practices for the development of analytical project plans, as well as sample collection techniques
- How to collect representative environmental samples
- Impact of sampling technique to data quality
- How to properly collect soil and water matrix samples, including F1/BTEX in soils, VOCs in water, metals in water (dissolved phase) and F2-F4 hydrocarbons in soil
- How to properly fill out a Chain of Custody
- How to properly pack a cooler and submit samples to the laboratory
Why should you attend this program?
- To build a strong foundation of skills; the content addresses the “how” but also, very importantly”, the “why”
- To absorb condensed material, delivered in a format that makes it easy to remember
- To learn from qualified and experienced instructors in the field of site assessment and remediation
- This is one of the only training programs tailored specifically for environmental field staff
Website Link To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Bureau Veritas Environmental Sampling Training Program – Fort McMurray
Apr 15, 2025
The 2025 Environmental Sampling Program is a Bureau Veritas introductory course developed for junior to intermediate environmental staff, and anyone interested in a refresher on practices and procedures for representative sample collection.
The program provides training on key stages in the lifecycle of an analytical project from a field perspective. It includes (1) Project Planning, (2) Sample Collection Procedures, (3) Sample Submission, (4) Sample Inspection, (5) Sample Prep and Analysis, (6) Data Reporting and (7) Data Interpretation. The content is delivered by Bureau Veritas, in a classroom type setting followed by a guided tour of Bureau Veritas’ local environmental testing laboratory.
Participants will receive training on:
- Regulatory requirements and industry best practices for the development of analytical project plans, as well as sample collection techniques
- How to collect representative environmental samples
- Impact of sampling technique to data quality
- How to properly collect soil and water matrix samples, including F1/BTEX in soils, VOCs in water, metals in water (dissolved phase) and F2-F4 hydrocarbons in soil
- How to properly fill out a Chain of Custody
- How to properly pack a cooler and submit samples to the laboratory
Why should you attend this program?
- To build a strong foundation of skills; the content addresses the “how” but also, very importantly”, the “why”
- To absorb condensed material, delivered in a format that makes it easy to remember
- To learn from qualified and experienced instructors in the field of site assessment and remediation
- This is one of the only training programs tailored specifically for environmental field staff
Website Link To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Alberta Wetlands: From Classification to Policy
May 06, 2025 – May 07, 2025
Website Link To Register: http://www.wetlandpolicy.ca/
Bureau Veritas Environmental Sampling Training Program – Edmonton
Mar 25, 2025
The 2025 Environmental Sampling Program is a Bureau Veritas introductory course developed for junior to intermediate environmental staff, and anyone interested in a refresher on practices and procedures for representative sample collection.
The program provides training on key stages in the lifecycle of an analytical project from a field perspective. It includes (1) Project Planning, (2) Sample Collection Procedures, (3) Sample Submission, (4) Sample Inspection, (5) Sample Prep and Analysis, (6) Data Reporting and (7) Data Interpretation. The content is delivered by Bureau Veritas, in a classroom type setting followed by a guided tour of Bureau Veritas’ local environmental testing laboratory.
Participants will receive training on:
- Regulatory requirements and industry best practices for the development of analytical project plans, as well as sample collection techniques
- How to collect representative environmental samples
- Impact of sampling technique to data quality
- How to properly collect soil and water matrix samples, including F1/BTEX in soils, VOCs in water, metals in water (dissolved phase) and F2-F4 hydrocarbons in soil
- How to properly fill out a Chain of Custody
- How to properly pack a cooler and submit samples to the laboratory
Why should you attend this program?
- To build a strong foundation of skills; the content addresses the “how” but also, very importantly”, the “why”
- To absorb condensed material, delivered in a format that makes it easy to remember
- To learn from qualified and experienced instructors in the field of site assessment and remediation
- This is one of the only training programs tailored specifically for environmental field staff
Website Link To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-environmental-sampling-training-program-edmonton-tickets-1247343370599?aff=odcleoeventsincollection&keep_tld=1
Bureau Veritas Environmental Sampling Training Program – Edmonton
Mar 26, 2025
The 2025 Environmental Sampling Program is a Bureau Veritas introductory course developed for junior to intermediate environmental staff, and anyone interested in a refresher on practices and procedures for representative sample collection.
The program provides training on key stages in the lifecycle of an analytical project from a field perspective. It includes (1) Project Planning, (2) Sample Collection Procedures, (3) Sample Submission, (4) Sample Inspection, (5) Sample Prep and Analysis, (6) Data Reporting and (7) Data Interpretation. The content is delivered by Bureau Veritas, in a classroom type setting followed by a guided tour of Bureau Veritas’ local environmental testing laboratory.
Participants will receive training on:
- Regulatory requirements and industry best practices for the development of analytical project plans, as well as sample collection techniques
- How to collect representative environmental samples
- Impact of sampling technique to data quality
- How to properly collect soil and water matrix samples, including F1/BTEX in soils, VOCs in water, metals in water (dissolved phase) and F2-F4 hydrocarbons in soil
- How to properly fill out a Chain of Custody
- How to properly pack a cooler and submit samples to the laboratory
Why should you attend this program?
- To build a strong foundation of skills; the content addresses the “how” but also, very importantly”, the “why”
- To absorb condensed material, delivered in a format that makes it easy to remember
- To learn from qualified and experienced instructors in the field of site assessment and remediation
- This is one of the only training programs tailored specifically for environmental field staff
Website Link To Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-environmental-sampling-training-program-edmonton-tickets-1247345506989?aff=odcleoeventsincollection&keep_tld=1
ESAA Job Board
Check out the new improved ESAA Job Board. Members can post ads for free.
Current Listings:
- Senior Biologist – Worley Consulting
- ERP System Administrator – Trace Associates Inc.
- Project Manager – Nelson Environmental Remediation
- Sales Scientist – Edmonton AB – CARO Analytical Services
- Junior Environmental Scientist – Trace Associates Inc.
- Senior Technical Specialist – Summit
- Senior Accountant – Trace Associates Inc.
- Project Manager – Summit
- Environmental Specialist – Summit
- Environmental Consultant – Nichols Environmental (Canada) Ltd.