The Okanagan Basin Water Board has organized several events to celebrate both World Water Day (March 22) and Canada Water Week (March 19 to 25).
Two of the signature activities will be a panel discussion at Okanagan College and the screening of a documentary, RiverBlue: Can fashion save the planet?
The panel discussion takes place Tuesday, March 21, 6 to 8 p.m., at the OC campus in Kelowna’s Centre for Learning Atrium, 1000 KLO Rd.
The topic for discussion will be “Why WASTE Water,” moderated by AM 1150’s Early Edition host Phil Johnson, looking at the risks and solutions to ensuring a clean, abundant domestic water supply across the Okanagan region.
Panellists will include OBWB executive director Anna Warwick Sears, Greater Vernon’s water sustainability coordinator Jennifer Miles, and Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen engineering supervisor Lisa Bloomfield.
This is a free event but seating is limited so people planning to attend are asked to register online at okanaganwhywastewater.eventbrite.ca.
The RiverBlue film will be shown Wednesday, March 22, 7 p.m., at the Landmark Cinemas-Grand 10 in Kelowna.
This award-winning documentary follows Mark Angelo, an internationally recognized river conservationist from the Lower Mainland, as he explores the pollution caused by the textile industry in waterways around the world.
Tickets are $5, available in advance online at okanaganriverblue.eventbrite.ca.
Other planned activities will include the Okanagan WaterWise Challenge, open to students from kindergarten to Grade 12 invited to participate in up to three challenges on an “H2O” board that help conserve and protect water.
“It’s a new twist this year, but with all the same great prizes as in past years,” said OBWB communications director Corinne Jackson.
“We’re encouraging young people to get active in and around water, and build awareness for the need to look after it.”
Prizes include a two-hour boat cruise on Okanagan Lake for a class lesson on a local water system, presented by the Okanagan Science Centre, along with pizza parties and pool passes.
The contest ends April 28. For more information see OkWaterWise.ca.
Water plant public tours will be held at the City of Kelowna facility at 951 Raymer Ave. on March 21, 4 p.m., and the City of Vernon facility at 2100 43rd St., on March 22, 9 a.m.
Registration in advance is required.
For the Kelowna plant tour, contact wastewater treatment supervisor Mike Gosselin at 250-469-8867 or email mgosselin@kelowna.ca.
In Vernon, the contact person is city water reclamation centre manager Serge Kozin at 250-550-3626 or emial skozin@vernon.ca.
Kelowna Heritage Museum, 470 Queensway Ave., will also host a special family event Wednesday, March 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. around the exhibit entitled Social Life Of Water, which uses art, audio, visual media and storytelling to explore the meanings that water holds for communities, cultural groups and public interest groups in the Okanagan watershed.
For more information about local Canada Water Week activities, check out the website okwaterwise.ca.