Latest news with #RichardWong
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fastly taps new CFO amid record revenue
This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Cloud computing and content delivery platform Fastly tapped Richard Wong as its next CFO, effective Aug. 11, the company announced in a Wednesday press release. Wong's appointment is one of several executive leadership changes recently announced by Fastly, which also tapped Scott Lovett, previously its chief revenue officer, will be serving as its president, go to market, effective immediately, according to the release. The moves come after Fastly in June appointed its former Chief Product Officer, Charles 'Kip' Compton, to serve as its CEO, according to a securities filing at the time. Compton succeeded Todd Nightingale, who departed from his role as CEO and president effective June 16 for another opportunity. 'Going forward, I'm excited to share my vision for Fastly with a keen focus on accelerating our growth rate and driving to profitability in the near term,' Compton said during Fastly's Q2 earnings call Wednesday, his first such call as CEO. In a separate press release Wednesday, the San Francisco, California-based company announced results for its second quarter, where it reported record revenue of $148.7 million. Dive Insight: Wong, who will replace Ronald Kisling as finance chief, was also hired as a senior advisor to the company's CEO, effective Aug. 7 and will serve in that role until the CFO transition date, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Kisling, meanwhile, will continue to serve as a strategic advisor to the company, which provides edge computing and content delivery services to businesses including SeatGeek and Neiman Marcus. Wong's previous roles include serving as the first CFO for both software platform Benchling and home remodeling software firm Houzz, according to his LinkedIn profile. His past roles also include serving as VP, finance for LinkedIn, as well as senior director, operations finance for Yahoo Inc. As CFO for Fastly, Wong will receive an annual base salary of $450,000 and will be granted a restricted stock award with an aggregate value of $8 million as 'a material inducement for him to commence employment,' according to the Wednesday company filing. He will also be eligible to receive an annual performance-based bonus with a target amount equal to 70% of his base salary, per the filing. 'Rich has a strong combination of strategic financial planning experience and vision, combined with a robust foundation in investment banking,' Compton said of the CFO appointment Wednesday. 'He will be an excellent addition to our leadership team as we grow and scale the business, and I look forward to him engaging with our investor community.' Wong will assume the top financial seat for the company as Fastly seeks to continue its growth streak. The quarter ended June 30 represents its second consecutive quarter where the business reported record revenue, after the company logged revenue of $144.5 million for its Q1, according to company results. The company also shrunk its non-GAAP operating loss to $4.5 million compared to $5.8 million for the quarter ended June 30, and raised its full revenue guidance for full-year 2025 to a range between $594 million and $602 million, and expects to generate positive cash flow for the year, according to its earnings report. However, executives also warned of potential changes that could impact the business, including regulatory shifts from the Trump administration relating to social media platform TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, one of Fastly's largest customers. On June 19, the Trump administration issued an executive order further extending the deadline for TikTok to comply with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to September 17. The act, which was signed into law by President Joseph Biden and was originally intended to go into effect in January, effectively prohibits TikTok's use in the U.S. while it is owned by a Chinese company. 'Globally, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok represented less than 10% of our revenue in the second quarter of 2025 and the United States traffic represented less than 2% of our revenue in the same period,' Kisling said Wednesday. 'While we do not know the outcome of U.S. policy on TikTok, to be consistent with our practice in the first half of 2025, we are excluding TikTok's U.S. forecasted revenue beyond September 17 from our guide.' Fastly did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Recommended Reading Jacobs-led QXO taps Barclays alum as first finance chief
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fastly Announces CFO Transition and Executive Leadership Promotion
Richard Wong to join Fastly as Chief Financial Officer Scott Lovett Promoted to President, Go to Market SAN FRANCISCO, August 06, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fastly, Inc. (NYSE: FSLY), a leader in global edge cloud platforms, today announced the appointment of Richard "Rich" Wong as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective August 11, 2025. Wong will succeed Ronald "Ron" W. Kisling who is leaving to pursue new opportunities. Kisling will remain at Fastly in an advisory capacity through September 15, 2025 to help ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities. In addition, Scott R. Lovett, Fastly's current Chief Revenue Officer, has been appointed President, Go to Market, effective immediately. "On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Rich Wong as Fastly's new Chief Financial Officer. Rich has a well-earned reputation as a builder with experience in growing high-performing teams in rapidly scaling environments, and he will be a great addition to the executive team," said David Hornik, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Fastly. "On behalf of the Board, I also want to thank Ron for his hard work and dedication to Fastly over the past four years. We wish him the best in his next chapter." "Fastly has always stood out to me for its powerful technology and deep commitment to developers. I'm excited to join a team so committed to performance, innovation, and customer trust," said Wong. "As CFO, I look forward to helping scale the business with operational discipline while unlocking long-term value for customers and shareholders." Wong is a seasoned executive with nearly three decades of finance leadership experience spanning high-growth startups, public tech companies, and global investment banks. Wong brings a proven ability to drive operational excellence and experience in strategic financial planning, as well as a robust foundation in investment banking. Most recently, Wong served as CFO at Benchling, a vertical SaaS company. While at Benchling, Wong helped the company scale revenue, launch new products, and expand internationally. Prior to Benchling, he served as CFO at Houzz Inc. Wong began his career as an investment banker at JP Morgan and Banc of America Securities, and also held senior finance roles at LinkedIn and Yahoo!. Wong holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. Fastly also announced the promotion of Scott R. Lovett, its current Chief Revenue Officer, to President, Go to Market. This newly created role brings together the revenue organization and the marketing organization under his leadership. Albert Thong, Chief Marketing Officer at Fastly, will report to Scott as part of this organizational update. "I am pleased to announce Scott Lovett's promotion to President, Go to Market," said Kip Compton, Chief Executive Officer of Fastly. "Scott has provided exceptional leadership and go-to-market transformation in his first year. This expanded role will give him an opportunity to have even greater impact. Bringing the revenue and marketing organizations together isn't just a structural change; it's an opportunity to drive even tighter internal alignment across critical customer-centric teams and to accelerate growth and customer acquisition." "I'm incredibly honored to step into this expanded role and continue growing with a company I believe in," said Lovett. "Our momentum is just beginning, and I'm excited to keep building alongside such a talented team as we aim to drive meaningful impact and long-term growth." About Fastly, Inc. Fastly's powerful and programmable edge cloud platform helps the world's top brands deliver online experiences that are fast, safe, and engaging through edge compute, delivery, security, and observability offerings that improve site performance, enhance security, and empower innovation at global scale. Compared to other providers, Fastly's powerful, high-performance, and modern platform architecture empowers developers to deliver secure websites and apps with rapid time-to-market and demonstrated, industry-leading cost savings. Organizations around the world trust Fastly to help them upgrade the internet experience, including Reddit, Neiman Marcus, Universal Music Group, and SeatGeek. Learn more about Fastly at and follow us @fastly. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking" statements that are based on our beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding Mr. Wong's appointment as CFO; Fastly's ability to unlock long-term value for customers and shareholders; Mr. Lovett's appointment as President, Go to Market; and Fastly's ability to tighten alignment across teams and accelerate growth and customer acquisition. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are detailed from time to time in the reports Fastly files with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including without limitation Fastly's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Additional information will also be set forth in Fastly's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2025. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on Fastly's website and are available from Fastly without charge. Source: Fastly, Inc. View source version on Contacts Media ContactSpring Harrispress@ Investor ContactVernon Essi, Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Province
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Province
Vancouver's best views: The pros offer tips on photographing the city's best scenes
Some of Vancouver's top photographers share their secrets to getting the perfect skyline shot Photographer Richard Wong loves "anything with the water," including areas around False Creek. Photo Credit: Richard Wong ONE-TIME USE ONLY Photo by Richard Wong Finding the magic in Vancouver is sometimes about discovering what is hidden in plain sight. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The city can be a playground, a gallery or a feast for the senses. There may be no better way to uncover the beauty that is around us and see the city in a new way than taking a walking tour with camera or cellphone in hand. To find the best views the city of Vancouver has to offer, we turned to the people who look most closely: Some of the photographers that have made Vancouver's skyline famous. Chris Collacott Photographer Chris Collacott says his passion has always been panoramas. Photo by Tim Shields Chris Collacott, an internationally acclaimed photographer whose seven metre long Vancouver skyline mural was featured at Olympic Village during the 2010 Olympics, has revelled in the cityscape since moving here in 1994. 'I was 19 years old, from Ottawa. I wanted to go somewhere that wasn't flat. I wanted the mountains, and the outdoors, so I hopped on a motorcycle and went west.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While getting a degree in IT at BCIT, he explored the region, taking photos with a point-and-shoot in hand. 'I was at the top of Panorama Ridge in Garibaldi Provincial Park, and in order to get the whole view I had to take three photos and Scotch tape them together,' said Collacott. 'My passion has always been panoramas,' said Collacot, 50, who has sold over 20,000 prints of his famous Vancouver skyline photo. 'This was my niche.' Collacott's IT background and advances in camera technology have helped him master the technical challenges of getting the perfect panorama and skyline views. He no longer has to use Scotch tape but can take 50 to 100 shots in quick succession and merge them together to create detailed panoramas. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. His work can be seen at YVR's arrivals terminal, B.C. Place Stadium, the SFU campus, and most recently in Brunei, where he was commissioned to do a major installation. What he loves about Vancouver's skyline 'Vancouver is unique: you have the ocean, the city, and the mountains in a row. Its really well balanced, and people connect with it. I've had people buy my print because their boat is in it.' Favourite skyline views His favourite skyline view may be the most difficult one to get. Accessible only through a private residence in a highrise on Broadway near Cambie, the view encompasses all of False Creek, the Cambie, Burrard and Granville street bridges, Yaletown, the tall buildings downtown, and behind that Cypress and Grouse mountains. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'You even get the windmill on top of Grouse,' said Collacott. Another favourite is to shoot from the Nine O'Clock Gun on the Stanley Park seawall, overlooking Coal Harbour. 'The south-facing skyline flows nicely, it has a beautiful harbour, the rocks at low tide, Coal Harbour, the boats, the old marina, the city buildings and Canada Place.' His favourite winter view is a hike-in shot taken from the top of Hollyburn Mountain, near the Cypress ski resort, and it's even better in winter when snow-covered evergreens frame the shot. (Not for inexperienced hikers, he cautions.) 'You see the entire Lower Mainland from downtown to Burnaby, White Rock and Mount Rainier.' Best time to shoot 'It's the moment when the brightness of the sky is the same brightness as the city lights and the lights in the buildings start turning on and both have the same balance. About 30 minutes after sunset, on a clear day the orange glow on the horizon reflects off all the buildings, and you get that beautiful reflection off the glass. There is about a 15-minute window when the light is perfect. You have 15 minutes to take 100 shots.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Think about the composition. Look at the balance of everything in the frame of your phone: if you are doing a skyline, use the horizon in the middle, try to get a reflection off the water to mirror the skyline, or use nature to frame it. Trees on either side gets your eyes to look in the middle at your subject.' Vancouver's skyline photographed from Stanley Park during low tide. Photo by Chris Collacott Panoramic photo from the top of Hollyburn Peak. Photo by Chris Collacott Chris Collacott's work can be seen on his website, and his courses taught with fellow photographer Tim Shields are available at Richard Wong Photographer Richard Wong, who lives in the Bay area, says Vancouver is a favourite destination for photography. Photo by Patty Wong / Richard Wong Richard Wong, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, first came to Canada at the age of six. The family spent a week in the Canadian Rockies, and a week exploring Vancouver and Victoria. He has returned again and again to capture the city in photos. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I fell in love with Vancouver's beauty and lush, rainy environment,' said Wong. 'Vancouver has everything: a very metropolitan downtown, it's walkable, surrounded by water, it has Stanley Park.' Wong started shooting photos for fun in the late 1990s, when he was a teenager. 'I wanted to shoot photos of all the things I had seen in life. I've gone back and shot every place I've ever been.' Vancouver, where he has extended family, became a favourite return destination for photography. Among his favourite skyline views is Vancouver during the blue hour, just after sunset. 'The orange glow has disappeared and the sky, the roofs of Rogers Arena and B.C. Place, the yachts and waters of False Creek are all painted in the blue hues of twilight.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Wong primarily sells landscape and nature photography prints, but counts the urban landscape as part of that. For Wong, shooting a skyline is part meditation, part stress relief. It doesn't feel like work. 'I love to go out on my own and take pictures. It's a way to focus, and get away from worries.' Wong lives in the Bay area with his wife and two children. 'It's an expensive place to live and that is stressful. Photography is very relaxing to me. The quietness and focus is really satisfying.' What he loves about Vancouver's skyline 'You get a good mix of outdoor, nature and also pure urban stuff. In a relatively compact area you can have your choice of any landscape.' Favourite skyline views 'I love anything with the water. From the southeast False Creek seawall by Olympic Village, you can shoot across False Creek to capture a good view of the sports buildings at night, and it's not photographed as often as other skylines. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He also loves shooting photos from the entrance to Stanley Park in Coal Harbour, especially at night, looking east. 'You can see most of the buildings downtown from there, and you have good reflection there.' 'Another one is Granville Island, where you can be up really close to the buildings (across the water). Go by the aqua bus area near the bridge, looking northeast at a 2 to 3 o'clock angle.' Best time to shoot 'Wake up before sunrise. Shoot 30 minutes before sunrise. Or after sunset when you get blue in the sky or purple and still have ambient lights in the buildings, which gives you a combination of lighting that is really pretty. People shoot a sunset and go home, but the most beautiful light may be afterward.' Tips and tricks 'Consider what angle the light is coming from. If you are shooting from Stanley Park, the sun is likely rising from behind the buildings and it might be difficult because you will be shooting straight into the sun. Try sunset or dusk from that location. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Try and look for something reflective. Look for shallow water. When the water is shallow you are more likely to get better reflection and better exposure.' 'A great skyline shot has a balanced composition from foreground, to the midground and background. Minimize distracting elements, like a stray person walking through the frame, or airplane contrails above the buildings.' Photographer Richard Wong says he enjoys shooting the Vancouver skyline during 'blue hour,' just after sunset. Photo by Richard Wong / Photographer Richard Wong says when the water is shallow you are more likely to get better reflection and better exposure. Photo by Richard Wong Photographer Richard Wong loves 'anything with the water,' including areas around False Creek. Photo by Richard Wong Wong regularly shows in galleries across North America, and sells his prints on Ian Kobylanski Photographer Ian Kobylanski says he caught the photo bug when he joined a photography program at McMath Secondary in Richmond. Photo by Liann Hart / Liann Hart Ian Kobylanski is a Richmond-born photographer who divides his time between Vancouver and London, England. Kobylanski caught the photo bug as a student at McMath Secondary, where he lucked into the photo program. He credits his teacher, Anil Sharma, for showing him that a career in photography could be more than just a dream. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I wouldn't be a photographer if it wasn't for that course,' said Kobylanski. Kobylanski, 29, now specializes in lifestyle, editorial fashion and street photography, and recently picked up a side gig shooting photos of men and women for elite dating sites. The images appear to be candids but are 'well choreographed.' 'It just caught on and people are coming to me from all over Europe for them,' he said. What he loves about Vancouver's skyline 'A skyline photo doesn't have to be this perfect image that has Science World and B.C. Place and all these recognizable landmarks. I find getting angles that no one else gets is really exciting.' 'I see so many photographers going for the very same photo. It's a really good way to learn and to understand the mechanics — how do I get this photo? how do I achieve that? — but for me it's a personality thing. I like to be different. I've been told I use the term 'skyline' incorrectly.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For Kobylanski, a skyline could be urban with a car in front, or a blurred person walking through, always from interesting angles, whereas most people think of a skyline as being something seen 'head on.' He also likes to take photos from a lower angle and to play with height. Favourite skyline views 'I love the glass bridge between Waterfront Station and the SeaBus. You see a lot of the city, and can get really cool rain stuff but stay dry,' he said. 'Everyone's apartment has unique views of different places. Our condo in Mt. Pleasant near Emily Carr College on Broadway has a little bit of elevation. Off the balcony I've got the North Shore mountains, B.C. Place, Rogers Arena. The entire block is getting completely developed and we currently look at a gigantic pit. I'm recording it because we are not going to have this view of the skyline for much longer.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hinge Park in Olympic Village near the J.J. Bean is another favourite view. 'When you are facing north and the sun is south behind you, hitting all the buildings, you can see B.C. Place, all the glass buildings leading up to Yaletown.' Best time to shoot 'Sunset and evening are great, but the city is full of people distractions. I love early morning for the light and the empty streets. I also prefer getting people in the morning: people are dressed up, looking their best, on the way to work on autopilot. You can get interesting emotion and faces.' Tips and tricks 'It's easy to try to be a perfectionist, but if you are going to share something with the world, it's the story that makes it meaningful. Keep it personal. Try shooting the same spot at different times of day, or take a photo from the same spot once a week,' said Kobylanski. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Kobylanski also recommends that if you happen to see an interesting location, take a picture on your phone because it saves a geographical location. You can go back to it later with a camera. And there's no need for expensive equipment, he said. 'If you are just starting out, there are times when your phone is going to be better than a camera. All new phone cameras automatically use HDR and right out of the gate you get a beautiful photo without using software to edit.' Photographer Ian Kobylanski says skyline photos don't have to be shot 'head on.' Instead, he says be creative with angles. Photo by Ian Kobylanski Dramatic view of Vancouver taken by photographer Ian Kobylanski from the passenger seat of a private airplane. Photo by Ian Kobylanski Photographer Ian Kobylanski's condo near Emily Carr University offers a great view of the Vancouver skyline and the North Shore Mountains. Photo by Ian Kobylanski Photographer Ian Kobylanski says, 'I find getting angles that no one else gets is really exciting.' Photo by Ian Kobylanski Kobylanski's work can be seen at his website, Jenn Chan Photographer Jenn Chan picked up a DSLR Canon 50D on sale but ended up putting it aside. A year later, she decided to pick it up and googled some tutorials and 'got addicted to learning more and more.' Photo by Jenn Chan Jenn Chan , a production director at CTV news and avid self-taught amateur photographer, grew up in Vancouver after moving here at age 5. Chan said she was drawn to photography because of her love of beauty and symmetry. Her first good camera was a DSLR Canon 50D that she had found on sale but ended up putting aside. A year later, she picked it up and Googled some tutorials. The same day she studied a new skill, she would go out to shoot photos and test out the settings. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I got addicted to learning more and more and found out I really loved to shoot the skyline and night photography. My absolute favourites are shooting the skyline at blue hour (just after the sun sets), when the buildings would light up and the sky would still be a little light.' Fireworks are another favourite: 'It's all about the set up and patience to get it right.' Chan said photography has led her to revisit a lot of favourite spots in the city, and explore them through the camera lens. What she loves about Vancouver's skyline 'I find that a great skyline shot will give a cool perspective of the city or an overview of the city. I love the tall new buildings mixed with older lower buildings with a beautiful sky behind it. A moody sky gives the photo an extra oomph.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'A great spot to capture the downtown Vancouver skyline is on the North Shore on Lonsdale Quay.' She also loves the Cypress Lookout, Top of Vancouver (the revolving restaurant atop Harbour Centre), and the view of Gastown/Canada Place from the Main Street loop by Waterfront Road. Another favourite viewpoint is of the Lions Gate Bridge from the Stanley Park causeway overpass near Prospect Point. Tips and tricks 'I will always try to position the subject in the light if I can, depending on time of day. I find having a tripod and, if you can, a remote for the camera / phone, helps to keep the image stabilized.' Chan said she loves blue hour after sunset and golden hour just before for good light. 'Patience is key if you want to take evening / night photos. And just have fun and play around!' Photographer Jenn Chan says shooting fireworks is 'all about the set up and patience to get it right.' Photo by Jenn Chan Photographer Jenn Chan says 'patience is key' if you want to take evening photos. Photo by Jenn Chan Photographer Jenn Chan says she loves she loves shooting during 'blue hour' after sunset. Photo by Jenn Chan We love where we live, and throughout the summer, we are running a series of stories that highlight what makes our community unique and special within Canada. Follow along with How Canada Wins right here. dryan@ Read More Sports News Celebrity Vancouver Whitecaps Celebrity
CBC
10-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Oil and gas industry group backs proposed merger of Alberta's largest river basins
A Canadian oil and gas industry group is backing a proposal to consolidate Alberta's two largest river basins, a move that would make it easier for industry to transfer water in that area without requiring legislative approval. The proposal involves the Peace/Slave and Athabasca basins. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), which represents the country's oil and gas companies, says the change would eliminate the need for redundant water infrastructure and reduce environmental impact. "Current restrictions under the Water Act create unnecessary inefficiencies for oil and gas projects that span major basin boundaries," reads a statement attributed to Richard Wong, vice president of regulatory and operations with CAPP. Conservation groups, meanwhile, are more skeptical. "This idea of combining what are our two largest river basins in Alberta, essentially, to avoid having to go through the process to complete an interbasin transfer, to me, is associated with a lot of undue risk," said Kennedy Halvorson, a conservation specialist with the Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA). Currently, Alberta's Water Act prevents water from being transferred between the province's seven major river basins unless a special act of the Legislature is authorized. But under a proposal outlined in an ongoing consultation around water availability in Alberta, the Peace/Slave and Athabasca basins would be combined. In a statement, CAPP said the idea didn't originate with them, but their members support it as a practical solution. "Consolidating the Peace/Slave and Athabasca river basins, which naturally converge within Alberta, would eliminate the need for redundant water infrastructure, allow companies to access the most suitable water sources based on availability and reduce environmental impact," Wong said. For energy companies with holdings on both sides of a basin boundary, there's long been concern about the duplication of water infrastructure, which they say increases a company's overall environmental footprint. CAPP said that using public data, one of its subject matter experts had counted 122 oil, natural gas and oilsands operators with land holdings on both sides, across 100-kilometres, on each side of the Peace/Slave-Athabasca basin boundary. 'Unintended consequences' raised as concern In October 2024, the Alberta government launched an engagement it said was intended to increase water availability and improve the province's water management system. It held a series of open-ended town halls, open houses, online surveys and other forms of engagement. Halvorson said in the first phase of the consultation, participants were asked for their thoughts on proposals involving "low-risk" interbasin transfers. "Often, there's a lot of concern about interbasin transfers, because every sort of watershed has a different physical makeup, a different chemical makeup. It may have different species, different ecological networks," she said. "So, as soon as you start combining them you do risk having … unintended consequences on the receiving watershed." Those consequences could include changes in pH levels, chemical concentrations, the introduction of invasive species, and reduced flow for downstream ecosystems and users, Halvorson said. In May, the province released a series of proposed changes to the Water Act, which included the proposal involving the Peace/Slave and Athabasca river basins. In that document, the province notes such a proposal would be "similar to the Bow, Oldman, and Red Deer basins converging within Alberta as the South Saskatchewan River Basin." Halvorson argued such a comparison neglected the significantly larger size of the Peace/Slave and Athabasca basins. "They're so much larger. Collectively, they would cover 50 per cent of the province," she said. Water management system seeing challenges Ryan Fournier, press secretary for Alberta Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz, noted that the Water Act has not been updated in 25 years. He added that the engagement heard ideas from more than 1,000 Albertans on how to make the system work better. "This spring, we sought feedback on some of the most commonly raised, or practical, changes that were proposed by Albertans, including consolidating the list of major river basins," Fournier wrote in a statement. "We are now reviewing the feedback we received from Albertans. No decisions have been made about how to move forward but we will keep Albertans updated as we work to make every drop count." Jason Unger, the executive director of the Environmental Law Centre, said he believes there are still too many unanswered questions about the environmental and community impacts of a possible merger, both around wastewater from industrial projects like oil and gas operations and other types of interbasin transfers. "While it appears a specific type of interbasin transfer is contemplated, once merged, all types of interbasin transfers are then legally permittable," he said. He added that the proposal seems to be built on the assumption that water transfers between the basins are low-risk, and that therefore they can be treated as one basin. "I think the government would be better placed to consider 'classes' of activities that may provide a net benefit to the environment and figure out amendments specific to those classes and consult on those," he said. The Alberta government has said that population growth, economic growth and water variability are challenging the water management system in the province, and that new policy and tools could be used to respond to those challenges.
CBC
29-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Canada Day drumming events across country aim to celebrate diversity
About 30 communities will participate in the annual Canada Day Drumming Celebration (CDDC), to mark 158 years of the country's existence on July 1. Richard Wong, the event's founder, and CDDC vice chair Alfred Woo, a retired Crown attorney and a military veteran, say the drumming expresses their love for Canada and the importance of staying united.
