IJC Welcomes New Members to its Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Advisory Boards and Health Professionals Advisory Board

The International Joint Commission (IJC) has appointed ten new members from Canada and the United States to its Great Lakes Water Quality and Great Lakes Science Advisory Boards under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) as well as to its Health Professionals Advisory Board. Members are chosen according to each board’s needs for expertise and experience. Some of the appointments are a result of an open call for nominations sent out earlier this year.

For the Great Lakes Water Quality Board, which assists the IJC in assessing progress by the two countries to accomplish the goals and objectives in the GLWQA, identifies emerging issues and completes research projects to recommend strategies to address complex challenges facing the lakes, members include representatives from federal, state, provincial and municipal governments, Tribal governments, First Nations and Métis, watershed management agencies, nongovernment organizations and the public. New members include:

• François Houde, Québec provincial representative and General Director, State of the Environment Assessment Division, Québec Ministry of Environment and the Fight against Climate Change
• Elizabeth Kirkwood, United States public or at large representative and Executive Director, For the Love of Water (FLOW) and environmental attorney
• Monica Lewis-Patrick, United States public or at large representative and co-founder, We the People of Detroit and co-author, Mapping the Water Crisis: The Disenfranchisement of African American neighbourhoods in Detroit
• Chris McLaughlin, Canadian municipal representative and Executive Director, Bay Area Restoration Council for Hamilton, Ontario
• The Great Lakes Science Advisory Board provides advice to the IJC on scientific matters and research related to the Great Lakes and the GLWQA, and completes studies on priority water quality issues facing the lakes. Members include government and nongovernment research managers and scientific experts. New members include:
• Mic Isham, United States representative and Executive Administrator, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission with expertise in fish and wildlife management, and a strong Tribal and First Nations perspective
• Dr. Karen Kidd, Canadian representative and Professor and Stephen Jarislowsky Chair in Environment and Health, Department of Biology and School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University with expertise in the effects of municipal, industrial and agricultural discharges on the health of aquatic organisms and fate of contaminants
• Dr. Gail Krantzberg, Canadian representative and Professor, Engineering and Public Policy Program, School of Engineering Practice and Technology, McMaster University with expertise in ecosystem rehabilitation and protection, Great Lakes governance and the interface of science and policy
• Dr. Jérôme Marty, Canadian representative and Project Director, Council of Canadian Academies with expertise in freshwater ecology and integrated natural resource management
• First established as a task force by the IJC in 1995, the Health Professionals Advisory Board was formalized in 2011 to provide advice to the IJC and its boards on existing and emerging environmental public health issues, report on specific topics, and collaborate with health professional and medical educational institutions on preventative education. New members include:
• Dr. Tom Edge, Canadian representative and Research Associate Professor, Department of Biology, McMaster University with expertise in environmental epidemiology and waterborne pathogen threats to waters used for drinking, recreation and food production
• Dr. Ruth Etzel, United States representative and Professor of Immunology, Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin with expertise in paediatrics, preventive medicine and children’s environmental health
• Dr. Shannon Waters, Canadian representative and Medical Director, Island Health Authority and Acting Aboriginal Physician Advisor, Provincial health Office in Duncan, British Columbia with expertise in health information, cultural safety and humility and maternal care for Aboriginal women, children and families.

The IJC is pleased to welcome these new members and looks forward to working with them to advance science and policy for the Great Lakes and other boundary waters.

The International Joint Commission (IJC) was established under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help the United States and Canada prevent and resolve disputes over the use of the waters the two countries share. The IJC’s responsibilities include reporting on the progress made under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes and connecting waters.