Success Stories
Community Economic Development
Core Development Initiative
Western Watersheds Climate Research Colloaborative
Canmore, Alberta
Completed: November 2008
The purpose of this project is give the Western Watersheds Climate Research Collaborative (WWCRC) the building blocks to meet their goal to establish in Canmore a world class center of excellence in climate change research. This center will utilize the research collected to forecast and interpret expected impacts associated with climate change for clients (government, business, industry and communities) and to work with them to develop effective mitigation and adaptation strategies, practices, policies and technologies
Prior to the start of this project the WWCRC had:
- created a collaborative of highly respected independent scientists
- established a not-for profit company
- gained the sponsorship of a major university
- identified a business model of a highly successful research activity lab that WWCRC can emulate, and
- hosted an international forum on climate change which brought 60 participants from across Canada, the U.S. and Switzerland to Canmore. The public presentation was attended by more than 150 people. The 3 day program resulted in additional corporate sponsorship expressions of interest
Community Futures Centre West (CFCWest) partnered with the WWCRC to assist them in the following three areas:
1. The Business Plan
The business plan was comprised of:
- operational strategies for the development of the collaborative as a enterprise
- a marketing plan
- long-term sustainability plan
2. Publishing their First Climate Change Publication
The reasearch in their major climate vulnerability assessment for the Bow River Basin was published in tne Fall of 2008. It served to draw attention to our existence and capacity and help delineate our market and our market needs. The climate vulnerability assessment will also serve as a prototype for other projects they will do elsewhere.
3. Second International Climate Change Forum
The Western Watersheds Climate Research Collaborative offered its first major international conference on climate change impacts and consequences in Canmore, Alberta between November 21st and 23rd, 2007. This very successful conference allowed them to achieve operational status as a venture by using their first climate change publication as a vehicle for demonstrating their knowledge base and interpretive capacity to prospective sponsors, partners and customers.
The conference also allowed to them consolidate a research, interpretation and outreach agenda for their next project which will concern itself with climate impacts on annual flow volumes on the North Saskatchewan River which they are doing in partnership with EPCOR. This conference also elicited requests from all the major climate research groups that attended to hold this event on an annual basis in Canmore. Plans are already in place to organize a similar research synergy conference in Canmore in November of 2008.
Finally, this conference allowed them to lay the organizational foundation for their next international conference on the subject of the impact of drought on the rural West which will was held in Canmore on March 17th and 18th of 2008.
Project Highlights
Project Deliverables:
Business Plan
Conference
Publication of research - Continuing the Dialogue
