The Assiniboine River Basin encompasses the Assiniboine River as well as the Souris and Qu’Appelle Rivers and their tributaries.  It crosses over two Canadian provinces – Saskatchewan and Manitoba - and one US state - North Dakota. At its end point, the Assiniboine River basin joins the Red River in Winnipeg, as well as having waters diverted through the Portage Diversion into Lake Manitoba, with the final outflow of both being Lake Winnipeg.

Join Us in Regina, Saskatchewan November 12 -14, 2014 for the 

Assiniboine River Basin Initiative Conference 

This inaugural conference will set the stage for the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative (ARBI) to take the next steps in officially becoming an organization!

The conference kicks off at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, November 12, and wraps up at noon on Friday, November 14. Over the course of the three days a number of key note speakers will be featured, panel sessions including discussion on the Flood of 2014, and ARBI development sessions led by Lance Yohe, former Executive Director of the Red River Basin Commission. The banquet on the evening of November 13 will feature Greg Johnson of the Tornado Hunters.

The conference is being held at the Travelodge Hotel & Conference Centre Regina, 4177 Albert Street South. Reservations may be confirmed by calling the hotel directly at 306-586-3443, or toll free at 1-800-578-7878 or online at www.travelodgeregina.com. PLEASE QUOTE BLOCK CODE (CGPINW) AND BLOCK ID# (1324532).

For conference updates or to register online, visit the ARBI portal at the PIN website – www.prairienetwork.ca. You can also email the ARBI Project Manager/Champion, Wanda McFadyen at wmcfadyen@prairienetwork.ca for further details. 

The Assiniboine River Basin Initiative (ARBI) is a group of key stakeholders from North Dakota, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba who, under the guidance of the Prairie Improvement Network (PIN),  have come together to explore the development of an organizational structure that will work cooperatively  in dealing with water related issues across  the Qu’Appelle, Souris and Assiniboine Rivers.

Draft: Agenda: September 24, 2014
Assiniboine River Basin Initiative Conference
“Qu’Appelle, Souris, Assiniboine Rivers”
November 12, 13 & 14, 2014
Travelodge Hotel & Conference Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

10:00 am              Registration Opens

1:00 pm                National Anthems

Opening Remarks & Welcome

1:30 pm                Keynote Speakers – An Overview of the Basin - Its Geography, People and Challenges

2:45 pm                Break

3:00 pm                Report of Activities to Date

3:15 pm                1^st Break Out Session- Review of Recommendations, Purpose of the New Organization

4:15 pm                1^st Break Out Reports to Plenary

4:45 pm                Wrap Up Day 1

5:30 pm                Welcome Reception

Thursday, November 13, 2014

7:30 am                Breakfast

8:30 am                Panel:  Flooding Challenges (2011 and 2014): Agency Views on Flooding. 

9:30 am                Key Note Speaker – Climatic Changes

10:00 am              Break

10:15 am              2nd Break Out Session: Board and Executive Structure and Selection, Base Funding Strategies

11:15 am              2^nd Break Out Reports to Plenary

11:45 am              Lunch

                                Luncheon Speaker

1:00 pm                3^rd Break Out Session – Planning and Direction for 2015

2:15 pm                Break

2:45 pm                3^rd Break Out Reports to Plenary

3:15 pm                Panel:  Flooding Challenges (2011 and 2014): Local Views

4:15 pm                Wrap Up Day 2

5:30 pm                Reception & Banquet

7:15 pm                Banquet Speaker: Greg Johnson “The Tornado Hunter”

Friday, November 14, 2014

7:30 pm                Breakfast

8:30 am                Panel: “Telling Your Story--Here’s What’s Happening in My Back Yard”

9:15 am                Panel: “Balancing the Issues”

10:00 am              Break

10:30 am              4^th Break Out Session: Next Steps

11:15 am              4^th  Break Out Reports to Plenary

11:45 am              Lunch

                                Luncheon Speakers

                                Closing Comments

Assiniboine River Basin Initiative – Phase 1 Summary

On December 19, 2013 in Brandon, Manitoba, the Prairie Improvement Network (PIN) hosted a meeting where an Assiniboine River Basin (ARB) Planning Committee was formed to examine the potential to develop an organizational structure that would work cooperatively to address water related issues across the Assiniboine River Basin. The Planning Committee consisted of senior representatives from agriculture, water/conservation organizations, and local, provincial and state governments from Saskatchewan, North Dakota and Manitoba.

It was determined there was a strong need to implement a grassroots workshop on March 26, 2014  in Virden, Manitoba to define the needs of key stakeholders in the Assiniboine River Basin and to discuss whether a separate organization could assist in improving the overall  framework for future generations.  It was also determined that the Basin incorporated not only the Assiniboine River, but the Qu’Appelle and Souris Rivers and associated tributaries.

The goals working towards the March workshop were:

• To engage a committed planning committee that had holistic representation of jurisdictions (SK, ND, MB) and stakeholder organizations - agriculture, water and conservation organizations, and all levels of local, provincial, state and federal government.

• To create and execute a workshop in the Assiniboine River Basin, inviting all grassroots stakeholders and creating a safe environment for open dialogue to determine whether a separate organization could assist in improving the overall basin framework now and for future generations.

• To attract funding sources through event registration fees, and sponsorships to offset some of the financial requirements of this initiative.

• To determine through the workshop if there was a desire for this initiative to develop into a long term organization capable of coordinating sustainable effective watershed discussion within the Qu’Appelle, Souris and Assiniboine Basins.

The workshop which was hosted at the Tundra Oil & Gas Place in Virden, Manitoba saw 130 representatives in attendance from all three jurisdictions. These individuals represented local governments, agricultural, tourism, watershed and conservation organizations, academia, business and industry as well as provincial and state government departments.

Besides key note addresses from feature speakers Robert Sanford, Chair of EPCOR, and Lance Yohe, former Executive Director of the Red River Basin Commission, those in attendance were asked to work in groups through three breakout sessions. Each group was assigned a facilitator as well as a recorder and worked through the following questions:

• WHY - Should we work together and use a basin wide approach?

• WHAT - What are the main issues and what would you like to see happen in the next 25 years? Are you willing to help?

• HOW - Should we meet again in the fall, what is the agenda, and what planning steps are required? How do we need to prepare to become a basin-like organization?

• WHO – Should we continue to use a (this) planning committee approach? Who else should be on it?

Key themes identified from breakout sessions were as follows:

• The need for a Unified Structure – We can address our problems better by working together in system wide basin approach.

• Build the Stakeholder Base - The watershed impacts individuals, businesses, and organizations across Saskatchewan, North Dakota and Manitoba; challenges exist to coordinate international and interprovincial response.

• Communication - There are many projects and activities looking at watershed problems, but the system to share information and define the decision making process is not well understood by all stakeholders in a consistent way.

• Water Quantity – Excessive water levels in spring devastate property and cause massive infrastructure & environmental damage. Climate change is a concern as well as the impacts of flooding and drought periods.

• Water Storage and Diversion - Water storage (dams, ponds, marshland, potholes, etc.) across the watershed need to be sufficient to help mitigate major floods and provide resources during droughts.

• Water Quality – Nutrient loading of rivers and lakes is a result of both urban and rural sources.

• Environmental Challenges – Wetland conservation, eco-system health and bio-diversity could be protected or improved through applied best management practices and linked revenue identification for land-owners.

• Required Research – Significant research is underway that can be accessed, but more emphasis is required on the Assiniboine River Basin as a whole.

• Funding and Leadership – This is recognized as a significant undertaking by all stakeholders, and a common theme was to identify/find new paths to funding sources. It was also agreed by all that an unbiased organization should continue to lead the ARB Initiative.

The unanimous feedback at the end of the session was:

• Continue to use the existing planning committee for Phase 2, with PIN continuing to lead the facilitation and coordination of the ARB Planning Committee towards a workshop in the fall, and consider inviting other interested stakeholder groups.

To review the complete Phase 1 summary report visit www.prairienetwork.ca/ARB.

Assiniboine River Basin Initiative – Phase 2 Summary

Following the multi-stakeholder workshop held March 26, 2014 in Virden, Manitoba whereby the consensus of those in attendance was that the same planning structure be used to deliver a conference in the fall of 2014 where the ultimate objective be the implementation of a sustainable structure to work cooperatively on water related issues of the Assiniboine River Basin (ARB), the Prairie Improvement Network (PIN) on behalf the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative (ARBI) Planning Committee began to undertake the following steps in Phase 2.

The ultimate focus of Phase 2 is to develop governance and sustainable funding model options to present to the stakeholders for consideration. To fulfill this mandate and assist the work of the ARBI Planning Committee, PIN has retained consultants, several of its directors, and staff to:

• Enhance the ARBI Planning Committee: This element will involve further communications and outreach to key stakeholders in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and North Dakota with the aim of augmenting the expertise and networks of the ARBI Planning Committee.

This element is seen as vital to:

a) assuring interests relevant and unique to the three different jurisdictions of the ARB are represented at the planning stage and,

b) the identification of potential long-term funding strategies for the future organization.

• Conduct Outreach & Communications: Representatives from each of the three jurisdictions will be engaged to execute a stakeholder engagement plan to ensure the broadest spectre of ARB stakeholders will represent the ARB as “one voice” at the fall conference that will define the structure of the new organization. This will be done face to face, through social media and other electronic communication such as the ARB portal which will be further developed to serve as a far-reaching communications tool.

• Develop Governance and Sustainable Funding Model options: These will be presented at the fall conference which will serve as the base for developing the ARB coordination organization.

• Plan and Execute the Fall Conference: This will be held in Regina on November 12 thru 14, 2014.  The conference will provide the opportunity for ARB stakeholders to come together and define the organizational structure for a water coordination body.

It is imperative attendees represent the breadth of interests in all three jurisdictions participate as this conference will lay the groundwork in finalizing the details that will not only define the details in relation to a governance model, but define next steps in terms of a funding structure and future plans.

For further information and updates please visit www.prairienetwork.ca/ARB.

Register Now!