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Canadian National Ground Water Association board of directors elected

The Canadian National Ground Water Association has been incorporated as of October to represent a united water well drilling industry in Canada.

The CNGWA will provide a united voice to the federal government, help co-ordinate standards and continuing education across the provinces, share data with the Geological Survey of Canada to have a say in where funds are allocated and exchange key information among members.

Canadian attendees of the National Ground Water Association’s Groundwater Week met in December and elected a working board of directors. Over the coming year the board will meet remotely through conference calls or possibly at its headquarters at the University of Windsor.

The new board consists of 10 directors:

• Blaine Matuga, Central Interior Pumps, Kamloops, B.C. (president)
• Johnny Wilson, J. B. Wilson & Son Well Drilling, Springfield, Ont. (first vice-president)
• Michael Lamont, Precision Service and Pumps Inc., Abbotsford, B.C. (second vice-president)
• Stephen Bleizeffer, Lackner McLennan Insurance, Kitchener, Ont. (treasurer)
• Dwayne Graff, Well Initiatives Ltd., Elora, Ont. (secretary)
• Paul Conrad, Conrad Well Drilling Ltd., Parry Sound, Ont.
• Simon Massé, Groupe Puitbec, Quebec
• Bill MacDonald, Heron Instruments, Dundas, Ont.
• Jim Smith, Fleming College, Frost Campus, Lindsay, Ont.
• Colleen Cross, Ground Water Canada

Among other tasks, the board must create bylaws to govern the association by October 2020, a year from the date of incorporation. These bylaws must meet the requirements of the NFP Act (Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act). They must be ratified, or approved, by the membership, which would most likely happen at an annual general meeting yet to be determined, said Craig Stainton, executive director of the Ontario Ground Water Association, who spearheaded the incorporation of the association.

If you’re involved in the ground water industry in Canada, you are automatically an Associate member. Those wishing to participate in meetings and have a vote on association matters must make a donation of $100 or more. Those who donate will have a chance to win a Heron Instruments Datum Point Central Control Well Monitoring System complete with a data logger (value $3,000). See the Winter 2020 edition of Ground Water Canada for details.

The association encourages water well contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, scientists and all those involved in ground water to share their ideas of what they’d like to see in a national association.

Members of the industry should contact the CNGWA at info@cngwa.ca for more information or to donate and register for a voting membership. Watch for more details at groundwatercanada.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for updates.