Photos by Jon Martin. Blog by CEO Shannon Frank.
This is the second blog in our series of Behind the Scenes at OWC. Catch up on the first installment here, which digs into how OWC operates as a charitable non-profit, how we are funded, and what organizations and individuals support watershed work.
Political polarization is “on the rise” across the world, partially fuelled by the increase of fake information online. While Canada is less divided than the United States, it is “moderately polarized,” with divides that could deepen over time.
Within this context, the Oldman Watershed Council (OWC) has a vital role to bridge these divides by bringing people with many different perspectives together to build cooperative action and strong sense of community in our corner of southern Alberta. We all rely on the same source waters, so keeping the watershed healthy is important for everyone. Neutrality is a key piece of this mission to be a collaborative forum for all voices—but what does being neutral mean? Why is neutrality important and how does it shape OWC’s work?
What happens if OWC is not neutral?
The OWC operates as a neutral, information-based organization. Being politically unbiased means we can bridge differences and be a forum for difficult conversations, maintaining trust of various partners along the way. Our reputation and commitment to neutrality also increases public trust because people know that we will bring all voices to the table and work in partnership to find solutions on watershed issues.
With serious, contentious issues like drought or coal mining, the lives and livelihoods of many people are at stake. Defending opinions and placing blame divides people who ultimately all want the same thing—a healthy watershed and thriving communities. That’s why OWC focuses instead on bringing all concerns (environmental, economic, and social) under consideration, then finding practical solutions.
How did OWC develop its neutrality policy?
A river in the eastern slopes.
The OWC has always operated as a neutral organization, but this was an unofficial policy until 2020–2021. At that time, significant interest developed in establishing coal mining operations throughout the eastern slopes of Alberta and the headwaters of the Oldman River.
Coal mining is a contentious issue, and OWC received many questions from members of the public about how coal mining would affect the watershed, what the potential upsides and downsides are, and if OWC thought mining projects should proceed. We answered many of these questions in blogs (including Navigating Our Future and Coal Announcement: Your questions answered), providing unbiased information about a very hot topic.
These inquiries also forced OWC to consider and clarify what a position of neutrality means, and so our Board of Directors developed a Neutrality Policy as a guide. What it boils down to is this: OWC is neutral but not silent.
Neutrality does not imply lack of a stance on protecting the health and resilience of the Oldman watershed. Neither does neutrality imply a lack of attention to the best scientific information on watershed health.
What it does mean is that OWC does not choose sides when it comes to public statements, projects, programs, elections, or political debates. When providing information for political and regulatory decision-making, the OWC focuses on data and factual information that supports an understanding of the watershed itself.
In other words, OWC considers all factors that affect the watershed, which includes social and economic aspects in addition to environmental ones. The OWC provides this holistic information to decision makers and we encourage people to participate in public engagement processes with this information as a foundation.
Why is this neutral role important?
The role of a neutral convener is a powerful one to play. The OWC uses science-based and Indigenous knowledge information to bring many diverse people and groups together and find common ground.
This work isn’t done in isolation; we work within a larger context. Other organizations take on the roles of protesting for or against contentious issues, or lobbying decision makers. We respect those roles and encourage people to do what they feel is important. Those activities don’t fit with OWC’s role to be a forum for all voices, and so they are not part of OWC’s operations. Many different approaches are possible when working for watershed health; a position of neutrality has been the best way for OWC to make the greatest positive change in the watershed.
How do people respond to OWC’s neutrality?
A minority of people who don’t understand OWC’s unique role send feedback that OWC is too outspoken, while others criticize that OWC doesn’t take strong enough stances on issues.
But, overwhelmingly, the message from members of the public is that the unbiased information OWC offers is valuable. For example, in response to drought conditions in 2023, OWC was able to quickly respond and provide up-to-date information via ABwater.ca. Thanks to neutrality, the OWC is well-positioned to share useful information with a wide audience.
Neutrality comes with transparency: OWC does not hide any information. We all depend on the same river and headwaters; in order to care for the watershed and communities within it, we need all the facts and we need to work together.
Is OWC ever not neutral?
Like small businesses, large industries, municipalities, and other groups, OWC needs to prove its value to receive adequate funding so that the work we do in communities can continue. In that sense, we advocate for our own existence.
Think of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce. These networks advocate on behalf of businesses, at the local, provincial, and federal levels, with a focus on economic interests. By proving the value of the businesses they represent, the chambers of commerce lobbies for policy changes that will positively affect them.
The OWC exists within this kind of framework, too: we represent the watershed and prove the value of protecting it. For example, some of the funding Watershed Planning and Advisory Councils (including OWC) comes from the Government of Alberta’s Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program (WRRP), active from 2014–2026. This program funded many great projects that, as we recently wrote about, provide a five-times return on investment by making communities more resilient to drought and flooding. The OWC advocates for funding for itself and for projects that improve the watershed, like the WRRP.
Because the value of nature-based solutions funded by the WRRP is proven, OWC is part of the Alberta Coalition for Water Security to reach beyond our local watershed to provincial and federal levels. Steered by Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, the coalition advocates for proper funding for watershed work. This coalition is simply a group of people working together; we have a common goal of better water security and watershed health across Alberta, and want to see communities benefit from sustained funding.
Neutrality, not silence
You can see from OWC’s blog archive that we don’t shy away from tough topics, from drought to coal mining to nuclear power. Neutrality is how OWC can provide useful information in a trusted, effective way—but we do a lot of work beyond our role as a neutral convener.
In our final blog in this series, we’ll talk about the difference that OWC and our partners are making on-the-ground in the headwaters and in communities across the watershed (even if you don’t see us in your town).
Like all OWC’s blogs, this post was written by a real live human, without the use of generative AI.
