Portage College CITI Department hires new Water Resources Manager
Portage College's Community and Industry Training Initiatives (CITI) department welcomes Lindsay Johnson to the newly created position of Water Resources Manager. CITI is in the process of developing two programs; the first will train municipal water and wastewater treatment plant operators for certification by Alberta Environment and the second will provide training in water treatment processes used in oil and gas operations.
Lindsay Johnson is heading up those projects.
Johnson has been passionate about water since she was young. She followed that passion and now has a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of British Columbia as well as a Master's of Science in Integrated Water Resources Management from McGill University.
Johnson recently relocated from Ottawa, where she was working at the Ontario Rural Wastewater Centre at the University of Guelph. There, she researched wastewater treatment technologies and developed a training program for drinking water quality monitors.
She has also worked with the Canadian International Development Agency, volunteering in India, as well as completing a practicum with the Water Quality section of Alberta Agricultural and Rural Development.
"All of this school and work experience happily led me here, to the Water Resources Project Manager position at Portage College in Lac La Biche," said Johnson.
While completing her Bachelors of Arts in Geography, Johnson focused on potable water and wastewater (toilets) in the realm of international development.
"I couldn't accept that I lived in a world where babies regularly die from drinking dirty water, where human waste is littered in the streets, and where women and children must walk for half a day to fetch water for their families," said Johnson.
It was at that point that Johnson took a closer look at water in her our own country and realized that potable and wastewater systems in Canada - particularly in rural and remote areas, faced many challenges themselves.
"I believe it is incredibly important for community health, sustainability and development to have impeccable systems for potable and wastewater treatment," said Johnson. "This is highlighted in the tragic incidences at Walkerton and North Battleford, where deficiencies in the system led directly to human suffering and long term challenges for these communities."
The hope is to develop an industry-leading program that will supply highly trained and experienced water and wastewater treatment operators to fill demand in the municipalities and oil and gas industries of North-Eastern Alberta and beyond.
"My goal is to develop a program so accessible that any interested/motivated person may gain the knowledge and experience they need to pursue a career in water and wastewater treatment," says Johnson. "I hope that we can develop a program that effectively communicates the importance of treatment operators to the sustainability of Alberta's communities, economy and environment - a program that engenders passion in the pursuit of a stable and meaningful career in water and wastewater treatment."
If you are interested in speaking with Lindsay Johnson, please contact Felicity Bergman, CITI Promoter of Public Relations & Marketing at 780.623.5548 to arrange an interview. Additional photos are available upon request.
