Southern Alberta

Grad student's art connects water science to the people

Grad student's art connects water science to the people

Science, art, and the great outdoors. Megan Leung describes these three things as her greatest passions in life. Growing up in Mohkinstsis — on the traditional territories of the Treaty 7 region, located in the Canadian Rockies of Southern Alberta — the hydrologist, artist, and MSc geography student at the University of Calgary has always been in awe of her surroundings. It’s a love that inspired both her art and her academic path. For years though, Leung felt those passions were completely divergent parts of her life.

Why a Southern Alberta First Nation turned off the tap to hundreds of area farmers

Why a Southern Alberta First Nation turned off the tap to hundreds of area farmers

“The river is very important to the Piikani Nation,” Piikani Nation Councilor, Riel Houle said. “We understand the downstream impacts of farmers and other people who need access to the water but (we also) get very protective of our river. It’s sacred to us.” Houle says the act of defiance was carefully considered. Twenty years after a water rights agreement was signed between the Piikani and the federal and provincial governments, Houle says a lot has changed. For one, the diversion weir on Piikani land is aging and planning for new infrastructure is underway.