Importance of open access water quality data to be addressed by speakers including
the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Mackenzie DataStream gives community members, researchers and policy-makers easy access to water quality data from the Mackenzie Basin through an open-source online platform
OTTAWA, Nov. 22, 2016 /CNW/ - Today The Gordon Foundation celebrates the official launch of Mackenzie DataStream, an open access, independent platform that was built through a unique public-private partnership between The Gordon Foundation and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
"It's an honour to host The Gordon Foundation as they launch Mackenzie DataStream today in Ottawa," says Jonathan Wilkinson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. "This project represents an opportunity for communities within the Mackenzie Basin to get involved and play an important role in protecting one of the country's most vital ecosystems."
The Mackenzie Basin is one of the most intact large-scale ecosystems in North America. Flowing northwest 6,825 kilometres, the Basin drains 20 per cent of Canada's landmass while providing globally beneficial eco-hydrological functions. These waters also form the cultural and economic foundation of communities in the region. Despite its importance at local and global scales, little monitoring has historically been done in the Basin, relative to other world rivers.
Mackenzie DataStream (www.mackenziedatastream.ca) provides users with free access to data from 21 communities at over 40 sites in the Northwest Territories, as well as one community in British Columbia, Fort Nelson First Nation. It allows users to graph, download and share the data they are interested in, and was built to address the often cited challenge of accessing evidence to make informed decisions.
"By promoting knowledge sharing and open access to data, we hope to support community efforts to collect data while encouraging the ongoing use of this information to better understand changes taking place in the Basin," says the Honourable Robert C. McLeod, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories.
"The official launch of Mackenzie DataStream marks the beginning of a new phase for this initiative," explains Sherry Campbell, President and CEO of The Gordon Foundation. "Moving forward, we plan to include all jurisdictions in the Mackenzie Basin and are seeking partnerships with communities interested in sharing their data. We've built Mackenzie DataStream with flexibility in mind and are ready to bring in additional sources right away. Our aim is to make water data easily accessible, providing opportunities for regional collaboration and an understanding of what's happening at the watershed level."
In June, The Gordon Foundation announced a milestone partnership with the Fort Nelson First Nation, which has added their water quality data to Mackenzie DataStream through the support of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority's Community Investment Program. This was a significant partnership, as it represents the first community to contribute data outside of the NWT. Collaborating with communities like Fort Nelson First Nation increases the data available, making it even more relevant to a broader audience of policy- and decision-makers.
Mackenzie DataStream was funded by The Gordon Foundation and developed in close collaboration with the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Foundation's key northern and technical partner for this project. This project has received ongoing input from NWT Water Strategy Partners with wide-ranging expertise. The full list of water partners can be found at: http://www.nwtwaterstewardship.ca/partneragencies.
For more information, please visit www.mackenziedatastream.ca or contact [email protected].
Launch Event Details:
November 22, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Parliament Hill, Ottawa, ON
Launch event registration is by invitation only. Media interested in attending the event may contact Josh Tucker at [email protected].
The Gordon Foundation
The Gordon Foundation has made a longstanding commitment to protect Canada's water and empower Canada's North. The Mackenzie DataStream initiative supports innovative research and communications to strengthen citizen engagement in freshwater management, and to drive the development of sound freshwater policy. http://gordonfoundation.ca/
SOURCE Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation
Image with caption: "Ice floes in the Mackenzie River Basin. Photo credit: Pat Kane (CNW Group/Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161122_C5649_PHOTO_EN_823677.jpg
Media Contact: Josh Tucker, External Relations Manager, The Gordon Foundation, [email protected]
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