Ontario Flood Forecasting and Warning Workshop

Registration for the 2023 Ontario Flood Forecasting and Warning Workshop (OFFWW) is closed. Thank you to the presenters and attendees.

About the Workshop

The workshop is organized by the Provincial Flood Forecasting and Warning Committee and is hosted by Conservation Ontario and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

The goal of the workshop is to provide links between agencies responsible for flood forecasting and warning, emergency management, flow measurement and data collection, as well as other partners, to address policy and implementation needs and issues, and to facilitate training.

Questions?

For more information, please contact Rhianydd Phillips: Rhianydd.phillips@trca.ca.

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Previous Workshops

2023 Flood Forecasting and Warning Workshop

All presentations are available on the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) extranet.

VIEW THE PRESENTATIONS NOW

Workshop Agenda

TIME PRESENTATION TITLE PRESENTER NAME
DAY 1: September 18th, 2023
9:00 a.m. Registration and Light Refreshments
9:30 a.m. Welcome Address:
– Dave Burritt, Supervisor, Surface Water Monitoring Centre
– Jennifer Barton, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
– Angela Coleman, General Manager of Conservation Ontario
– John MacKenzie, Chief Executive Officer, TRCA
9:45 a.m. Keynote Address: End-to-End Early Warning Systems for Flood Forecasting William Scharffenberg, Member, Standing Committee on Hydrological Services at World Meteorological Organization
10:45 a.m. BREAK
11:00 a.m. The Value of Collaboration in Advancing Prediction Jacob Bruxer, National Hydrological Service, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada
11:30 a.m. Seasonal Weather Outlook Jerry Shields, Weather Systems Coordinator, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
12:00 p.m. LUNCH
1:00 p.m. Hydrometric Monitoring and Maintenance: WSC Technician 101 Sean Clarkson, Hydrometric Technologist, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada
1:30 p.m. Calibrating All Weather Precipitation Monitoring Katelyn Lynch, Manager of Water Infrastructure, Grand River Conservation Authority
2:00 p.m. Snow Surveys: Unravelling Winter’s Blanket Robert Metcalfe, Research Scientist, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
2:30 p.m. BREAK
3:00 p.m. Surface Water Monitoring Centre – Foundational Tools and Resources Iryna Shulyarenko, Surface Water Monitoring Centre, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
3:30 p.m. River Ice Break-Up Forecasting Procedure Jeff Wong, Senior Water Operations Engineer, Credit Valley Conservation
4:00 p.m. WORKSHOP ENDS
DAY 2
8:30 a.m. Creating a Daily Planning Cycle (DPC) Angela Mills, Water Resources Specialist, North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority
9:00 a.m. Enhancing the Daily Planning Cycle (DPC): How to Use KIWIS/APIs in the Daily Planning Cycle Justin Robert, Hydrometric Data Coordinator, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
9:30 a.m. Data Sharing Platforms: Perspectives Across North America (Enhancing the Daily Planning Cycle) Amber Langmuir, Water Resources Engineer, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry | Mike McNiven, Senior Engineer, Ontario Power Generation | Steve Elgie, Regional Sales and Support Manager, Kisters
10:00 a.m. BREAK
10:30 a.m. Flood Forecasting and Warning Communication System Rhianydd Phillips, Communications Coordinator, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
11:00 a.m. Shifting Precipitation Patterns and its impacts on Reservoir Operations and Flood Forecasting and Warning (FFW) Vahid Taleban, Senior Engineer, Grand River Conservation Authority
11:30 a.m. Canada One Project with Aquanty Katherine Watson, Water Resources Specialist, South Nation Conservation | Steven Frey, Senior Scientist, Director, Aquanty
12:00 p.m. LUNCH
1:00 p.m. General Lessons Learned through Flood Events Lorrie Minshall, Special Projects, Long Point Region Conservation Authority
1:30 p.m. Lessons Learned from the Winnipeg River Basin in 2022 Elizabeth Jamieson, Acting Executive Engineer, Lake of the Woods Secretariat
2:00 p.m. BREAK
2:15 p.m. The Power of Caring for Ourselves and Our Teams: Mental Wellness in support of our responsibilities for Flood Forecasting, Warning and Emergency Management Sharon Bak, Emergency Management Professional
3:00 p.m. Effective Operational Emergency Planning for Vulnerable Populations in Flood Forecasting and Warning Patricia Martel, Manager, Emergency Management, CEMC, Niagara Region
3:30 p.m. SURVEY COMPLETION PRIZE DRAW AND WORKSHOP WRAP-UP

 

2022 Flood Forecasting and Warning Workshop

The 2022 series featured five streams:

STREAM ONE: Keynote Kickoff
Wednesday September 28, 2022

10:00 a.m. Flood Forecasting in British Columbia: Operational Perspectives and Recent Case Studies
Presenter: David Campbell, Head of the River Forecast Centre, Integrated Resource Operations, Water Management, Ministry of Forests, Government of British Columbia
11:00 a.m. Everything Everywhere All at Once: A Review of Manitoba’s 2022 Flood
Presenter: Dr. Fisaha S. Unduche, Executive Director of Hydrologic Forecasting and Water Management, Government of Manitoba

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR

STREAM TWO: Experience and Learnings
Wednesday October 12, 2022

10:00 a.m. Churchville Ice Jam Flood 2022 (Pre-recorded)
Presenter: Graeme MacDonald, Water Resources Engineer, Credit Valley Conservation
10:30 a.m. Flood Forecasting in Québec
Presenter: Dominic Roussel, Flood Forecasting Team Lead, Ministry of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change (Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques), Government of Quebec
11:00 a.m. Ontario Weather 2022 Summary – A Look Back, A Look Ahead
Presenter: Jerry Shields, Weather Systems Coordinator, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR

STREAM THREE: Advancements in Technology and Forecasting
Wednesday October 26, 2022

10:00 a.m. Update on ECCC’s user-focused hydrologic prediction products and services initiative
Presenter: Jacob Bruxer, National Hydrological Service, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada
Discover, access and apply ECCC hydrologic prediction products with practical demonstrations
Presenter: Natalie Gervasi, National Hydrological Service, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Government of Canada
11:00 a.m. The Ontario Lake Routing Project
Presenter: Bryan Tolson, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR

STREAM FOUR: Networks and Networking
Wednesday November 9, 2022

10:00 a.m. Collaborating on Flood Risk Assessment in Eastern Ontario
Co-presenters: Dave Crossman, GIS Coordinator, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority & Katherine Watson, Water Resources Specialist, South Nation Conservation Authority
11:00 a.m. 2021 Flood Forecasting and Warning Survey from Surface Water Monitoring Centre, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry/Environment and Climate Change Canada
Presenter: Dave Burritt, Supervisor, Surface Water Monitoring Centre, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
11:30 a.m. High End of The Rating Curve Using Hydraulic Models
Presenter: Derrick Beach, Engineer, Technical and Data Services, Hydrology Operations East, Ontario, Monitoring and Data Services Directorate, Meteorological Service of Canada

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR

STREAM FIVE: Emergency Management and Communications
Wednesday November 23, 2022

10:00 a.m. Business Continuity During Disruptive Events – Panel discussion covering lessons learned from the Rogers outage, Ottawa tornado, the May 23 derecho, and more!

Panelists:
• Dwight Boyd, Retired Director of Engineering, Grand River Conservation Authority
• Peter Kimbell, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist, Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Curtis Vance, GIS Supervisor, Quinte Conservation
• Brent Smith, Emergency Management Advisor, Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

11:00 a.m. Communicating Weather Uncertainty On All Hazards
Presenter: Gerald Cheng, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist, Environment and Climate Change Canada
11:30 a.m. Alert Ready for Dam Emergencies
Presenters: Rita Lucero, Manager, Flood Emergency Management, Development and Engineering Services, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Heather Bridger, Operations Officer, Emergency Management Ontario
12:00 p.m. Evolution of Flood Forecasting and Warning & A Look Ahead
Presenter: Dwight Boyd, Retired Director of Engineering, Grand River Conservation Authority

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR

2021 Flood Forecasting and Warning Workshop

The 2021 series featured five streams:

STREAM ONE: Keynote Kickoff
Wednesday September 22, 2021

PRESENTATIONS:

TITLE PRESENTER(S)
Keynote Address: Unthinkable: The Western Canada Heatwave of June-July 2021 Geoff Coulson, retired Warning Preparedness Meteorologist
Advances in Hydrological Forecasting in Canada Alain Pietroniro, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR:

STREAM TWO: Experiences and Learnings
Wednesday October 6, 2021

PRESENTATIONS:

TITLE PRESENTER(S)
The Art and Science of Far North River Surveillance: Past, Present, and Future Ken Corston, Resource Liaison Specialist, and Samantha McTeer, Resource Management Technician, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
The Gales of November Come Callin’ – Lake Erie Flooding Event Scott Robertson, Senior Water Resources Engineer Grand River Conservation Authority
Kenora District Dam Operations and Flood Response James Williams, Integrated Resources Management Technical Specialist, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
2021 Freshet: Ontario Waterways Anna Ciorap, Water Management Manager, Ontario Waterways Unit, Parks Canada

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR:

STREAM THREE: Advancements in Technology and Hydrometrics
Wednesday October 20, 2021

PRESENTATIONS:

TITLE PRESENTER(S)
Toward User-focused Hydrologic Prediction Products and Services in Canada Jacob Bruxer, Regulation Representative (Canada), International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board
HydroMaster Vahid Taleban, Water Resources Engineer, Grand River Conservation Authority, and Steve Jackson, Water Resources Engineer, Maitland Valley Conservation Authority
August 2014 Flood: Operations Modernization Benjamin O’Reilly, Flood Forecasting & Operations Technologist, Conservation Halton

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR:

STREAM FOUR: Advancements and Changes
Wednesday November 3, 2021

PRESENTATIONS:

TITLE PRESENTER(S)
Assessing the State of Snow Monitoring in Ontario Max DeBues, Hydrologist, and Robert Metcalfe, Research Scientist, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
Advances in Hydrological Forecasting at OPG with Delft-FEWS & Raven Matt MacDonald, Engineer, Water Resources, Ontario Power Generation
Using Artificial Intelligence for Hydrological Modelling of Great Lakes Watersheds Bryan Tolson, Professor, and Juliane Mai, Research Assistant Professor, University of Waterloo
Flood Forecasting and Warning: Conservation Authorities Act Mandatory Programs and Services Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Water Resources Policy

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR:

STREAM FIVE: Emergency Management and Communications
Wednesday November 17, 2021

PRESENTATIONS:

TITLE PRESENTER(S)
Weather in Emergency Management Jerry Shields, Weather Systems Coordinator, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
Fostering Emergency Preparedness Patricia Martel, Manager, Emergency Management, CEMC, Niagara Region
Site-Specific Flood Risk Packages Rita Lucero, Manager, Flood Emergency Management, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)

VIEW THE RECORDED WEBINAR:

2020 Flood Forecasting and Warning Workshop

The 2020 series featured five streams:

STREAM 1: A Year in Review and a Look Ahead
Wednesday September 16, 2020
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Welcome from Ann Marie Weselan, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF)

PRESENTERS:

  • Presentation 1Keynote: The Operations and Evolution of the Northeast River Forecast Center’s Hydrometric Services | David Vallee, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • Presentation 2Tropical Storms Impact on Ontario, When they are Still on the American Coastline | Jerry Shields, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF)
This session is now closed. View the recorded webinar:

STREAM 2: Recent Experiences and Learnings
Wednesday September 30, 2020
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

PRESENTERS:

  • Presentation 12019 Bearskin First Nations Ice Jam Flooding | Jeremy Cook, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
  • Presentation 22019 Whitefish River Flood Event | Gail Willis, Lakehead Region Conservation Authority
  • Presentation 3January 10-11th, Record Breaking Rainfall Event | Katelyn Lynch, Grand River Conservation Authority
  • Presentation 4After Action Reviews | Melissa Marsh, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
This session is now closed. View the recorded webinar:

STREAM 3: Advancements in Technology and Hydrometrics
Wednesday October 14, 2020
10:00 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.

PRESENTERS:

  • Presentation 1Height Modernization and How It Affects Flood Forecasting and Warning | Lindsay Armstrong, Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • Presentation 2Decision Support System | Rehana Rajabali, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) & Arnejan van Loenen, Deltares USA
  • Presentation 3Flood Forecasting and Warning for $0.00 | John Bittorf, Grey Sauble Conservation Authority
  • Presentation 4Artificial Neural Network Model for Dam Operations and Flood Forecasting | Emily Wiersma, Emily Schnarr, & Chris Kavelaars, Queens University
  • Presentation 5Forecasting Mobilization of a Grounded Ice Jam | Jeff Wong, Credit Valley Conservation
This session is now closed. View the recorded webinar:

STREAM 4: Policy and MNRF Advancements
Wednesday October 28, 2020
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

PRESENTERS:

  • Presentation 1Implementation Guidelines Update | Dave Burritt, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
  • Presentation 2Information to Inform Policy Decisions on Flood Risk Reduction | Anna Ziolecki, Partners for Action, University of Waterloo
  • Presentation 3PANEL: Ontario’s Flooding Strategy Commitments
    • Linking Watershed Condition, Runoff Mechanisms, and Flooding in a Changing Climate – MNRF Science and Research Priorities | Robert Metcalfe, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
    • Emergency Management Ontario’s EM Software Solution | Dan Zakydalsky, Emergency Management Ontario
    • Updating MNRF’s Natural Hazard Technical Guides | Danielle MacCorkindale, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
    • Clarifying Urban Flooding Roles and Responsibilities | Alex McLeod, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
    • Enhancing Flood Mapping | Mike Passey, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
This session is now closed. View the recorded webinar:

STREAM 5: Communications
Thursday November 12, 2020
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

PRESENTERS:

  • Presentation 1Common Alerting Protocol 101 | Norm Paulsen, Meteorological Service of Canada
  • Presentation 2Public Emergency Alerting Services Incorporated (PEASI) | Steve Miller, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
  • Presentation 3Effective Methods for Communicating Risk to Flood Vulnerable Residents | Rhianydd Phillips, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
  • Presentation 4Issuing Conservation Authorities’ Flood Messages | John Mesman, South Nation Conservation, Diane Downey, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, & Shannon Gutoskie, Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority
This session is now closed. View the recorded webinar:

2019 Flood Forecasting and Warning Workshop

The Provincial Flood Forecasting and Warning Committee (PFFWC) presented the 2019 Flood Forecasting and Warning Workshop on September 18, 2019.

Presentations

cover page of 2019 Ottawa spring flooding presentation Is the 2019 Spring Ottawa Flood Caused by Climate Change?
Presented by: Xuebin Zhang / Environment and Climate Change Canada
cover of Lower Ottawa River flood warning presentation Working Together to Enhance Lower Ottawa River Flood Warning
Presented by: Sandra Mancini / South Nation Conservation + Brian Stratton / Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
Working with municipal emergency first responders presentation cover page Working with Municipal Emergency First Responders: Different Floods, Different Responses
Presented by: Jason Wintermute / Lower Thames Conservation
Flow monitoring presentation cover page Flow Monitoring: Evaluating Innovative Technologies and Hydrological Prediction in the National Hydrological Services
Presented by: Aaron Thompson / National Hydrological Service
TRCA flood monitoring and warning presentation cover page Flood Monitoring & Warning: Resilience and Redundancy
Presented by: Leland Wilbur + Jamie Duncan / Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Ontario Flood Forecasting and Warning presentation cover page PROJECT UPDATE: Ontario Flood Forecasting and Warning Implementation Guidelines for Conservation Authorities and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Presented by: Dave Burritt / Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Communication formula for flood message success presentation cover page The Communication Formula for Flood Message Success: Right Person, Right Message, Right Time
Presented by: Melissa Rosato + Nancie Knight / Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
Communicating erosion hazards presentation cover page Communicating Erosion Hazards
Presented by: Steve Jackson / Maitland Conservation