What would happen if water was managed based on principles and practices that empower communities to become stewards and what if decision making was local and collective? These principles inform a commons and public trust approach that water must be carefully managed and protected while prioritizing the basic needs of communities, the rights of indigenous peoples and the sustainability of the land. The lens of the commons can act as a political framework for many Great Lakes issues including extreme energy projects, bottled water extraction, invasive species and pollution.

Speakers: Alexa Bradley (Program Director for On the Commons), Sue Chiblow (Environmental Consultant for the Mississauga First Nation) and Jim Olson (Founder and Chair of FLOW for Water).

Moderated by Emma Lui (Water Campaigner for the Council of Canadians).