Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to be with you today.
I am the director of the program on water issues at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. With me today are my colleagues, Owen Saunders and Frank Quinn. We are here on behalf of the Canadian Water Issues Council, or CWIC, as we like to call it.
CWIC is a project of the program on water issues at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. It comprises Canadian water experts and former senior water policy-makers. It was formed in 2007 to conduct non-partisan policy research within a university setting on the topic of Canada-United States transboundary water issues. Biographies for the three of us who are here today, as well as for the other members of the Canadian Water Issues Council, form part of this record.
Our objective has been to be a resource for all parties that demonstrate goodwill and cooperation in accomplishing the goal of protecting Canada’s water. For example, over the years we have had opportunities to work with Francis Scarpaleggia and Lawrence Cannon on their bills, and we have had the opportunity to speak with Larry Miller on his bill. We welcome and acknowledge the spirit of cooperation that has characterized these efforts to date.
I would like to turn to my colleague, Owen Saunders, who has been our legal expert over the years, for his remarks.