PAHs or Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons can also be solids at ambient temperatures but just like dioxins and DDT cab be readily dissolved in solvents including DNAPL solvents. The former Uniroyal site was blessed with many PAHs which among other locations ended up in the Canagagigue Creek sediments, creekbank soils, fish etc. Hence they have also migrated into groundwater beneath the Uniroyal site and most likely onwards from there into Elmira's groundwater long before the company allegedly fully slammed the gate shut via Pump & Treat (hydraulic containment) in 1992/93.

Further studies of steam flushing have confirmed the early positive results in removing/dissolving the higher solubility compounds in DNAPLS such as chlorobenzene and other solvents but there are later "tailing" effects or dramatic slowdowns in the removal of these relatively higher solubility compounds compared to more recalcitrant to steam flushing and dissolution; dioxins, DDT and PAHs.

It is not just DNAPL that can infiltrate into low permeability zones. Dissolved contaminants in aquifers at the interface between aquifers and aquitards can diffuse from the higher concentration aquifer into the lower to zero contaminant concentration aquitard over time. This diffusion can be a few inches deep or even a few feet into the aquitard. After many years of pump & treat for example as the aquifer concentrations of contaminants decrease significantly then the contaminants held in the aquitards can back diffuse into the aquifers.

The 1% rule referencing a DNAPL chemical's dissolved concentration in an aquifer indicating likely nearby free phase DNAPL must be viewed in the context of all contaminants dissolved in the aquifer including non DNAPL contaminants. Hence for example five contaminants (4 chlorinated solvents & toluene (non DNAPL)) each having a concentration less than 1% of their Solubility can have their cumulative mole fractions sum higher than 1% providing evidence of possible DNAPL presence nearby (Raoult's Law).  The cumulative mole fraction is each compound's concentration in groundwater divided by its' Solubility (i.e. Ci/Si) and then added together. In the example by Bernard Kueper Queen's University Kingston and Kathryn Davies U.S. EPA, Region 3 in their EPA Ground Water Issue titled "Assessment and Delineation of DNAPL Source Zones at Hazardous Waste Sites" these five compounds mole fractions (Ci/Si) total  .034 or 3.4% , well in excess of the 1% criteria.

So apologies fir getting a little technical there but how are we to interpret this information? Firstly any honest evaluation of even a fraction of the multitude (hundreds approx.) of dissolved Uniroyal Chemical contaminants compared to their Solubility in water would show the high probability of DNAPLS nearby. Secondly the single minded focus on NDMA/Chlorobenzene and later Ammonia  has been simply a distraction from the even worse contaminants and by no means am I deprecating NDMA's toxicity. I'm referring to dioxins, DDT and PCBs. Possibly on Monday we'll discuss the PCBs further. Thirdly we are seeing exactly how difficult it would be to fully remediate the Elmira Aquifers honestly and transparently. Any idjit can lie and say they are doing it but it takes truly inspired prevaricators to hold to the same lie after thirty years and failure.              

Four years ago I was writing transfer functions for motor controllers. Today I ship React interfaces for an AI SaaS product. People assume the switch was a clean break, that I threw one toolbox away and picked up another.

It was not. I use the same toolbox. I just stopped calling it control theory.

Here is what I mean.

In a control system you have a setpoint, which is where you want the system to be. You have a sensor that tells you where the system actually is. A controller computes the difference between the two, and an actuator does something about it.

Now describe a form submission. The setpoint is the server state you want. The sensor is your response handler. The controller is your reducer. The actuator is the DOM. The loop runs, the error shrinks, the system settles.

Once you see it this way, an entire class of frontend bugs stops looking like frontend bugs and starts looking like unstable loops. Double submissions are oscillation. An infinite re render is positive feedback with no damping. A spinner that never stops is a sensor that never reported back.

Engineers who come from control systems have one instinct baked in. Never build a loop you cannot prove will settle.

Early on I wrote what everyone writes.

const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false)
const [isError, setIsError] = useState(false)
const [isSuccess, setIsSuccess] = useState(false)

Three booleans give you eight possible states. The feature has four legal ones. The other four are bugs waiting for a slow network to find them. Loading and error at the same time. Success and error at the same time. I have shipped both.

In mechatronics nobody models a system with loose flags. You draw a state machine, you enumerate every state, and you define which transitions are legal. Everything that is not on the diagram cannot happen, by construction.

type RequestState =
  | { status: 'idle' }
  | { status: 'loading' }
  | { status: 'success'; data: Invoice[] }
  | { status: 'error'; message: string }

Four states, no illegal combinations, and the compiler refuses to let you read data before it exists. This single change removed more bugs from my work than any library I have ever installed.

A sensor never gives you a clean number. It gives you a number plus noise, and your first job is to filter that noise before anything downstream is allowed to trust it.

Users are sensors. Someone typing in a search box is a noisy signal firing roughly eight events per second. Someone clicking a submit button is a signal with mechanical bounce, exactly like a physical switch, which is why we borrowed the word debounce from hardware in the first place.

So filter at the boundary, not deep inside your logic.

const debouncedQuery = useDebounce(query, 300)

The rule I carried over is simple. The filter belongs as close to the sensor as possible. Debounce the input, not the network layer. Throttle the scroll handler, not the component that reads it. By the time a signal reaches your business logic it should already be clean, because logic that has to defend itself against noise becomes logic nobody can read.

Pure feedback control is always late. It cannot react until the error already exists. If you want a system that feels fast, you add feedforward, which is a prediction of what the output should be, applied before the measurement comes back.

That is exactly what an optimistic update is. You do not wait for the server to confirm. You apply the predicted state immediately and reconcile when the real measurement arrives.

setLikes(prev => prev + 1)   // feedforward, applied instantly
await api.like(postId)       // feedback, arrives later

The part people get wrong is the reconciliation. Feedforward without correction is just guessing. Every optimistic update needs a rollback path, because a prediction that is never checked against reality is how an interface ends up lying to the person using it.

In hardware, a loop that waits forever on a sensor is not a slow loop, it is a hung machine. So you add a watchdog. If the expected signal does not arrive within a bounded window, the system stops waiting and enters a defined failure state.

Frontends almost never do this. We fire a request and then wait, politely, indefinitely. Somebody ends up sitting in front of a spinner for forty seconds with no idea whether anything is still happening.

const controller = new AbortController()
const watchdog = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 10000)

Ten seconds, then a defined failure state with a message and a retry. Not a spinner that spins until the person gives up. A system without a watchdog does not fail loudly, it fails silently, and silent failure is the worst kind of failure in any control system.

I am not arguing that every frontend engineer should go and study control theory. I am arguing something narrower and more useful. The discipline you came from is not a detour on your CV. It is a lens nobody else on your team is holding.

The people around me arrived at frontend from design, from computer science, from bootcamps. They see things I do not. I see feedback loops, settling time, noise and failure modes, because I spent years being taught that a system which cannot be proven to settle is not finished, it is just not broken yet.

So if you switched fields, stop apologising for the years before the switch. Go and find the thing your old discipline made obvious that everyone else has to learn the hard way. That is not a gap in your experience. It is the most interesting thing about you.

I am a frontend engineer working with React, Next.js and TypeScript, building AI powered SaaS products. I write about engineering, systems thinking and the strange paths people take into this field.

I Studied Control Systems, Then Became a Frontend Engineer. It Is the Same Job. was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Clearly our ethically and morally deficient authority figures have assessed that question in the title above. Clearly they would have us believe that their lying and deception is for our own good. Perhaps the argument goes like this: People have enough stress with jobs, climate change, housing, raising children etc. Why burden them with more especially when the more is permanent groundwater destruction over which they have no control. This self-serving answer when it comes from the very people who either dumped the toxins and or were charged with protecting us from those very actions; is an attempt to justify the indefensible. If we continue to hide our serious environmental failures then we will never step up and improve our behaviour and responses to polluters and their apologists. We as citizens, if deceived by Lanxess Canada, GHD, MECP, Woolwich Township and others, can not do our civic duty and demand environmental protection as well as proper environmental remediation of either Elmira or other towns and cities.

Steam flushing has been used to remediate deep DNAPL . It can be effective although there are considerations. Firstly there is preferential removal of the more soluble components from the DNAPL long before the lower solubility, more intransigent components are stripped from the DNAPL mass. Furthermore as has previously been written here Dioxins and DDT for example can recrystallize when their solvent carrier such as chlorobenzene has been significantly reduced and or dissolved into groundwater. 

Another issue is the remobilization of free phase DNAPL that can occur under steam flushing. It has been found that dependent upon location, cracks and fissures, the DNAPL pool can spread out further while under steam flushing. A third issue is the fact that the greatest removal rates occur at the start of the process but then are greatly reduced.  Hence just like pump & treat remediation early success breeds complacency and overconfidence, puffery and intransigence .

Landmark performance reflects Centre In The Square’s ambitious programming direction and its growing stature as one of Canada’s leading destinations for live experiences

KITCHENER, ON – Centre In The Square announced today that Itzhak Perlman, violin, accompanied by Rohan De Silva, piano, will perform in the Raffi Armenian Hall on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 7:00 pm. Tickets go on sale to Priority Plus and above Members on Friday, September 25 at 10 am, to Priority Members on Saturday, September 26 at 10 am, and to the public on Monday, September 28 at 10 am. The engagement is a rare opportunity for audiences across Southwestern Ontario to see one of the world’s most celebrated musicians without travelling to Toronto.

For Kitchener and Waterloo Region, Perlman’s appearance is a significant moment: this marks Itzhak Perlman’s first performance at Centre In The Square. It means audiences across the region can experience an artist of this stature close to home, in the heart of Downtown Kitchener, rather than making the trip to Toronto. Student and youth tickets are priced at $49.50, reflecting the Centre’s commitment to ensuring young people have access to performances of this calibre.

Perlman’s engagement is part of a broader programming direction at Centre In The Square, which has spent the past two years building its reputation as one of Canada’s leading destinations for live experiences. Major international and Canadian artists are increasingly choosing to perform in Kitchener on its own terms, not as a stop on the way to somewhere else. The booking reflects an intentional point of view behind the Centre’s programming, not a one-off engagement, and signals the organization’s growing profile on the national stage.

“Bringing an artist of Itzhak Perlman’s stature to Kitchener is exactly the kind of moment we’ve been building toward,” said Eric Larivière, Executive Director of Centre In The Square. “This is a rare chance for our community, and for the students and new audiences we hope to introduce to a performance like this, to experience one of the great musicians of our time close to home. It reflects the confidence we have in what this city and this region can support.”

The performance will take place in Centre In The Square’s 2,000-seat Raffi Armenian Hall. Acoustics for the hall were designed by Russell Johnson Associates of New York, and the orchestra pit was modelled on the one at Bayreuth, holding up to 100 musicians. Moveable stage towers, curved walls and a system of canopies work together to shape the room’s sound for a wide range of performances. Designed to bring audiences close to the performance, the hall is well suited to a program built around a single, intimate performance.

Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry but also to his irrepressible joy for making music.

Having performed with every major orchestra and at concert halls around the globe, Mr. Perlman was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom – the Nation’s highest civilian honor – by President Obama in 2015, a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000 and a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan in 1986. Mr. Perlman has been honored with 16 GRAMMY® Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Genesis Prize.

Tickets for the November 19 performance start at $88.50, with early access for Centre In The Square Priority Plus and above Members on Friday, September 25 at 10 am and for Priority Members on Saturday, September 26 at 10 am, ahead of the public on-sale on Monday, September 28 at 10 am. Youth/Student tickets are available for $49.50. Tickets are available at centreinthesquare.com or by calling the Box Office at 519-578-1570 or 1-800-265-8977. Centre In The Square is a fully accessible venue; for accessibility information or to arrange accommodations, contact the box office. For more information and to become a Member, patrons can visit centreinthesquare.com/members.

Centre In The Square is among Canada’s leading destinations for live experiences. Located in the heart of Downtown Kitchener, the 2,000-seat Raffi Armenian Hall and the Studio Theatre welcome more than 150,000 people a year to a season that spans Broadway, international and Canadian touring artists, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Grand Philharmonic Choir, and locally produced work including the Kitchener Creates education and community program. Centre In The Square is a not-for-profit registered charity that earns roughly 80 percent of its own revenue.

-30-

Media Contacts

Eric Lariviere
Executive Director, Centre In The Square
416-557-8498
ELariviere@centreinthesquare.com

Jonathan Randall
Director, Marketing & Development
416-735-3347
JRandall@centreinthesquare.com

Last weekend, my social media feeds were filled with discussions about the new Converse sneaker ad that evoked Ku Klux Klan and lynching imagery.

The company has since apologized and pulled the ad, explaining, “This should not have happened and we will do better.”

I hope we can all take something from this situation, regardless of whether we work in marketing or another role.

When creating a presentation, writing a company announcement, designing a team event, or selecting an image for social media, let’s invite someone with a different perspective to review our work before we share it.

Instead of asking, “Does this look good?,” ask questions to help identify unintended messages:

• “Is there anything here that could be interpreted differently than I intended?”
• “What associations or messages might I be missing?”
• “Is there anything that could feel exclusionary or hurtful?”

One last thing: choose reviewers with different lived experiences and perspectives, rather than asking only people likely to agree with you. Also, be aware of the “minority tax” that people from underrepresented groups face when asked to serve on committees to improve representation. There is a demand and supply problem: People from underrepresented groups are in high demand to provide their input on diversity initiatives, but they are often in short supply within any given organization. This leads to a small group of individuals being tapped for service more often than their peers.

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Recently, Merriam-Webster added 1,400 new words to their online dictionary. One stood out for me: DARVO.

Coined by psychologist Jennifer Freyd, PhD, DARVO describes a pattern people may use when confronted about wrongdoing:

• Deny the behavior.
• Attack the person raising the concern.
• Reverse the roles of victim and offender.

I’ve written about this pattern before, and it’s worth repeating how it can show up at work. For example:

• “They’re making a big deal out of nothing. In fact, if they were more of a team player, I’d be better able to meet my quarterly goals.”
• “They think I’m lying to customers? If they’d just stick to the script, we wouldn’t have these customer trust issues, and I’d be able to hit my quota.”
• “This feels like cancel culture. One small mistake and suddenly I’m the villain.”

Notice what happens in each example. Instead of addressing the original concern, the person shifts blame, attacks someone’s character, or portrays themselves as the victim.

That’s when we can disrupt DARVO.

It could be as simple as saying, “Let’s stay focused on the original concern raised.”

Have you heard of “the Billy Graham rule” or “the Mike Pence rule?” It’s a practice where a male leader avoids spending time alone with any woman who isn’t his wife.

Regardless of the motivation, this rule is real, and it has real consequences for women’s careers. When male leaders avoid one-on-one meetings, dinners, or mentoring conversations with women, they limit access to relationships and opportunities that help people advance.

I’ve met some of these men.

A business unit leader once announced during a workshop I was facilitating, “My wife gets jealous when I have a work dinner with a female coworker,” and then asked, “How should I handle that?”

My snarky side wanted to suggest couples’ therapy. Instead, I recommended, “You could always bring along another coworker. Or only meet coworkers of any gender over breakfast.”

No one should be excluded from out-of-the-office activities where colleagues get to know each other, share ideas, and learn from each other. No one should miss out on meetings with influential people because of their gender.

In a recent interview with Business Insider, Sheryl Sandberg mentioned that she still talks to people who won’t take a meeting with a woman alone.

She asked:

“Who’s ever been promoted by someone they’ve never had a meeting with? No one ever. You can have a meeting alone with a woman: Keep the door open.”

I’d take it a step further: Keep the door open for everyone. Meet with colleagues of all genders, using consistent practices for privacy, transparency, and professionalism. Or establish clear meeting guidelines that give everyone equitable access to your time, mentorship, and opportunities.

In 2013, I was convinced the problem would soon be solved.

I remember telling my friend Eric over lunch that I’d quit my corporate job to support women in tech. I was starting a coaching business, but I expected to do it for only a few years. After all, everyone in Silicon Valley was talking about the importance of having more women on the teams solving the world’s most pressing problems.

Fast-forward more than a decade, and I wish my optimism had been justified.

WIRED recently surveyed women in tech and found:

• Almost half of the women surveyed (47%) said the tech sector is unchanged or worse for women compared with five years ago.
• More than a third (36%) said they’d experienced gender-based harassment or bias at work.
• Women reported being sexually harassed by male supervisors, earning less than their male peers, being passed over for promotions, and getting talked over in meetings.

I have a feeling these experiences aren’t limited to tech.

So, when a woman coworker tells you she’s been treated unfairly — or worse, harassed — take her concerns seriously.

Listen without immediately questioning her account, minimizing what happened, or explaining away someone else’s behavior.

Then ask, “What kind of support would be most helpful right now?”

After reading my September 11, 2026 newsletter, where I recommended being aware of religious and cultural commitments in the fall, Mark Vollmers reached out. He explained that he works with a team in India and has learned that essentially September through when Diwali lands (late October through the middle of November) is filled with festivals. Some are national holidays that might appear on global calendar notices, but people also celebrate other days.

While people at his company support teammates taking time off for such events, Vollmers also shared something he personally does: Schedule non-critical messages for the next normal working day.

“Knowing how connected everyone is and the tendency to be willing to log in and do work even when they’re ‘off’, I have to be extra attentive to schedule non-critical emails and IMs to send on the next normal working day. While it may be easy for someone to quickly ‘check something out’, I don’t want people to deal with normal type stuff when they’re off.”

He added, “I’ve learned that just saying in the email ‘for when you get back’ isn’t nearly as effective as I’d like it to be.”

Thank you. 🙏

If you’ve taken a step towards being a better ally, please reply to this email and tell me about it. And mention if I can quote you by name or credit you anonymously in an upcoming newsletter.

That’s all for this week. I’m glad you’re on this journey with me,

Karen Catlin (she/her), Author of the Better Allies® book series

100% written by me. I use AI for researching a personal archive of my books and past newsletters, and for light editing.

Copyright © 2026 Karen Catlin. All rights reserved.

Together, we can make a difference with the Better Allies® approach.

• Say thanks to Karen and buy her a coffee ☕ (Need a receipt for educational reimbursement? Reply to this email, and we’ll take care of it.)
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• Tell someone about these resources

Invite A Different Perspective, and Other Actions for Allies was originally published in Code Like A Girl on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In a few short months, people in our community will leave homelessness behind by moving into Friendship Village – and you can be a part of their journey!♦

Welcome Home: Friendship Village is inviting caring, compassionate community members like you to help provide a warm welcome to every single person who moves into our new supportive housing community by providing the essential items they need to turn their units into homes.

You see, when people move into Friendship Village, many will come with virtually no belongings. Almost nothing from their former life.

When you are homeless and have nowhere else to go, the list of belongings you have gets smaller and smaller as you move from place to place. And when you finally get a place you can call your own, you have the daunting task of starting from scratch.

You can help change that story for our new residents by donating to support key items such as:

• Bedding and curtains for a bedroom;
• Towels, a shower curtain, bathmat for a bathroom;
• Pots and pans to cook meals; and,
• The dishes and cutlery to eat them.

When you give, you are doing more than furnishing a space – you are helping to provide a home where hope and healing will happen for 100 people leaving homelessness behind. Thank you!

You are helping a new story begin.

WELCOME HOME: FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE
To learn more or give today, visit www.houseoffriendship.org/FriendshipVillage, or give us a call at 519-742-8327 x 131.

Thank you for making fresh starts possible and providing a warm welcome today!

The post Welcome Home: Friendship Village appeared first on House Of Friendship.

We’re pleased to share the recording of our recent Hydraulic Mixing Cell (HMC) Training Session in HydroGeoSphere. Presented by Arghavan Tafvizi, HydroGeoSphere Specialist at Aquanty Inc., this practical session provides a comprehensive introduction to the Hydraulic Mixing Cell workflow and its application for analyzing surface water–groundwater interactions in integrated hydrologic models.

The webinar walks through the complete HMC workflow, from preparing model inputs and configuring simulations to interpreting output files and post-processing results. Through a hands-on demonstration, participants gain practical knowledge that can be immediately applied to HydroGeoSphere modelling projects.

Key Highlights:

• Learn how to prepare the required inputs for Hydraulic Mixing Cell simulations.

• Understand HMC configuration, workflow requirements, and best practices.

• Explore Hydraulic Mixing Cell output files and their interpretation.

• Follow a practical demonstration of an HMC simulation and post-processing workflow.

This session is especially valuable for HydroGeoSphere users looking to strengthen their understanding of surface water–groundwater interactions and incorporate Hydraulic Mixing Cells into their modelling workflows.

To save his ship, his crew, and his new cyborg, Captain Cirilo Webster will play the Santiago Corporation’s most dangerous game… politics

Read Keepers of the Flesh

Get the ebook or paperback now!

And watch this space.

Something new—something shiny—is coming very soon!

♦Captain Cirilo Webster brought his ship out of the chaos of an archaeological expedition gone wrong with his ship and the Santiago Corporation’s monopoly on faster than light travel intact.

Loyal as he is to the company that binds together the Seventy-Seven human colonies, his first loyalty is to his ship and crew. When damage to his old freighter Santa Mica risks the Company scrapping her, he dives headlong into Santiago politics to find a way out.

Corporate politics may prove the least of his worries, as the sins of his Security Chief’s past and Santiago’s paranoia collide to bring him a contract he couldn’t ever have expected.

A family of clone mercenaries have found a clue as to where their progenitor is hiding and they want the Santiago Corporation—and Cirilo Webster in particular—to take them there.

But there is a reason the man went into exile… and he clearly doesn’t want to be found!

The post Keepers of the Flesh is out now! appeared first on Glynn Stewart.

To make matters worse, Dame’s dad — retired private eye Dodge Polara — is hospitalized after suffering a second stroke. Soon after, Dame uncovers a startling connection between her mother’s decades-old murder and the apparent suicide of a former city councillor.

While not wishing to give short shrift to PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) which have been found in at least three locations in Elmira/Woolwich; their original sources may or may not be unknown. This is because our authorities routinely cover up information they'd rather not be public information. These locations that I know of are Varnicolor Chemical's Lot 91, their former 62 Union St. address and in the fish and Canagagigue Creek itself.

My understanding is that Uniroyal Chemical introduced Woolwich and Elmira to both Dioxins and DDT through their sloppy and negligent waste disposal practices while producing DDT and Agent Orange .  Agent Orange consisted of a mixture of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T and was used as a defoliant and brush killer not only in Vietnam by the U.S. military but even here in Ontario in the ditches alongside our highways.

DNAPLS merely describe certain chemicals with the following characteristics. They are Dense (heavier than water), Non Aqueous Phase (dissolve poorly & slowly in water) Liquids (i.e. they flow by gravity downhill). Hence they are referred to as Dense Non Aqueous Phase Liquids or DNAPLS. Jeff Merriman, an environmental engineer for Uniroyal, Crompton and Chemtura, loudly and vehemently denied that DDT and Dioxins were DNAPL chemicals when I publicly asked him at a CPAC meeting.  Turns out that Jeff did not exactly lie however he sure sprinkled some fairy dust and used smoke and mirrors to muddy things . While DDT and Dioxins are not usually defined as DNAPLS because at room temperatures, completely on their own they are solids perhaps even referred to as crystals; they are NOT liquids. Hence they are not a member of a group of chemicals known as DNAPLS such as chlorobenzene, chlorophenols, trichloroethylene, chloroform,  trichloroethane etc.. Here's the rub however. By all scientific interpretations and definitions; DDT and Dioxins once mixed with common solvents (such as chlorobenzene)  behave EXACTLY as DNAPLS do !  In fact I would refer to them as the DNAPLS from hell.

They sink through aquifers and even some aquitards here in Elmira. They descend through three aquifers (UA, MU, ML) on their way to the lowest aquitard, the LAT or Lower Aquitard where they may sit and slowly dissolve for decades, generations or even centuries.  Worse yet there are a number of locations under Elmira where the LAT  is missing hence the Municipal Lower Aquifer (ML) rests directly on top of the Bedrock Aquifer (BR). That is horrible news because the top of the Bedrock is considered "weathered " and is full of small fractures. DNAPL with DDT and Dioxins dissolved within, works its' way into those cracks and fissures. From there it is almost impossible to remove both due to its' depth and to how tightly it is held within the Bedrock matrix. Uniroyal and successors long ago decided that the easiest way to deal with it was not to spend many millions of dollars attempting to remove it but to simply Deny it. Pretend that heavier than water chlorobenzene already in the Municipal Lower Aquifer (ML) both dissolved and as DNAPL was not also in the nearby Bedrock Aquifer. That is a polluter's solution to the problem they caused and is basically free. Our authorities through corruption and likely other means or bribes have permitted it.   

♦

While canning and preserving, techniques and methods that are often thought of as fall activities when the growing season has slowed and winter comes on, there are delicious things to preserve now, in the spring and early summer, that can be stored and used in your daily dining later in the year — when those items can no longer be found fresh.

In her 2008 book Anita Stewart’s Canada: The Food, the Recipes, the Stories, the late-great Elora author and food activist summarizes the E.D. Smith story as it started in Winona, Ontario.

Smith planted peaches, apples, and plums, with each orchard having its own beehives for pollination. By the mid-1880s Smith, fed up with a plodding fruit distribution system and low prices, “decided to make jam. The first such operation in Canada,” notes Stewart.

“By 1905, his factory was in full operation. E.D. Smith Pure Fruit Jam became an icon of Canadian food manufacturing.”

Napoleonic preserves
We can thank Mr. Smith, but we need to go back even further to snap open the lid on canning origins, at least in the modern era. Although he has been dead and gone about 170 years now, Nicolas-Francois Appert gave us the technique of preserving foods in air-tight containers.

Appert, a Parisian chef, had spent many years experimenting with wax- and cork-sealed jars and boiling them in water before he answered the call of what was essentially a Napoleonic cooking contest.

The little general was waving around French francs for anyone who could preserve franks for his marauding armies (whom, he had already announced, march on their tummies). Appert finally prevailed after about a decade and proffered up his canning method and techniques winning in 1810. The rest is jelly, jam, and syrup history.

Appert struggled despite his innovation; he made it onto a French postage stamp in 1955 recognizing his vital contributions. By then, canning momentum and expertise had long before passed to the English and Americans, among the latter of whom was John Landis Mason: he invented and patented the glass jar and screw-on lid combination in 1858. It remains part of our cooking vocabulary, though Mason died a pauper.

Despite the rapid advance of technology we experience in our daily lives, canning hasn’t changed very much at all. Today, food is basically preserved by three methods: canning, freezing, and drying.

Freezing slows enzyme activity that causes food to deteriorate and is the quickest and easiest method of preserving. Things like green beans—and even the divine and funky little fiddlehead—are best frozen, suggests Rose Murray, Cambridge, the late Ontario-based broadcaster and author of A Taste of Canada: A Culinary Journey.

“Blanch them to stop the enzymes that will continue to make them deteriorate. Drain them, cool them, dry them off, and pack them in plastic bags and freeze. When you take them out it’s just a question of steaming them for a couple of minutes.”

Drying or dehydrating food simply removes most of the item’s moisture requiring little processing energy and taking up little space for storage. Dehydrated foods are perfect for taking while travelling or with outdoor activity.

Canning boom
Though it takes the most skill, canning is a preservation method that has been making something of a comeback in our kitchens. Bernardin, a major Canadian manufacturer of canning equipment, has noted significant sales increases in the last several years.

Canning preserves food without desiccation, the sour flavours of pickling, or the sweetness of sugar. The foodstuff is cooked in hermetically sealed jars to kill bacteria, molds, and enzymes; it can be stored without refrigeration in a cool, dark place for a year and maybe more depending on the food item.

While canned food loses some nutritional value, if it is processed at its peak of flavour it can still be more nutritious than some fresh foods that have been transported great distances and over longer periods of time.

Murray has observed the renewed interest in canning. As she tells it, historically canning was a way of preserving the harvest and making sure you had something to eat in the winter months.

“I grew up on a farm south of Collingwood,” Murray said. “We grew everything we ate, and my mother and I were in charge of the huge garden we had. It was the way we had fresh food in the winter. I can still see in our cellar a big long trestle table by the stone foundation. It was full of all kinds of colourful produce.”

Field to fork eating
Convenience is key too, she points out. When you go to your root cellar, your canned food—beets, relishes, peaches—are ready to go, requiring neither thawing nor cooking.

However, it is critically important, Murray stresses, to make sure you have up-to-date and reputable canning recipes, the proper equipment, and that you follow the sterilization steps and guidelines carefully.

The canning renaissance is tied closely to a heightened interest people have in where their food comes from, its provenance as it were. They want more control of their food sources and are planting urban gardens, Murray says.

“There has been a huge resurgence in canning and preserving. People are starting to become more aware of what they eat. They don’t want the additives and the sodium of processed foods. If you do your own canning, you know what you’re getting.”

Is cost an issue? Murray thinks so, even after you factor in the expense of canning equipment.

“I saw in an upscale shop recently a jar of beets for $20. Go to the market, get a six-quart basket for $4, and spend a little bit of time canning. It is a question of economy.”

Many young adults are starting to think similarly and they’re growing small gardens and preserving more and more, she adds.

“It’s field to fork in your own backyard.”

*     *     *

Canning Basics, adapted from Saving the Seasons, (Waterloo, ON: Herald Press, 2010)
– Can in the season: get the freshest produce for the freshest canned results;
– High-acid foods like fruits, pickles and tomatoes can be canned by means of the boiling water bath method;
– Low-acid foods like meats and non-pickled vegetables must be preserved through pressure cooking;
– Select produce to can that is at the perfect stage of ripeness, not overripe;
– Wash food to be canned thoroughly along with the utensils you are using.

What you need
Many hardware stores and larger supermarkets will have the supplies. Basic starter kits cost between $15-$20 with enameled steel pots of various sizes between $25-$80. Jars and lids will cost $8-$15, again depending on size.

You will need:
– a stove-top enameled steel water bath canning kettle or pot;
– metal rings, lids, and jars that will hold your finished canned goods;
– a canning rack that sits inside the water bath;
– a jar lifter;
– magnetic wand for removing lids (optional);
– a wide-mouth on-metallic funnel;
– a silicone spatula or two;
– an assortment of kitchen towels;
– kitchen space!

Bernardin’s step-by-step canning (adapted from www.homecanning.ca)

1. Review the recipe to ensure you have all the ingredients and tools.  For best results, do not make substitutions;
2. Fill your home canner with fresh water and heat;
3. Visually inspect jars for nicks, cracks, uneven rims or sharp edges that may prevent sealing or cause breakage. Wash jars (even if new) and place on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to simmer (180°F/82°C).  Keep jars hot until ready to use;
4. Set screw caps aside, place lid closures in small pot of hot (but not boiling) water;
5. Set up your “filling station” and have your non-metallic funnel, your ladle, paper towels, tongs and screw bands at the ready. Also, if making spreads, a spoon and bowl for skimming during cooking time is handy;
6. Set up your “resting station.” Set clean tea towels in a place near the stove where your processed jars can rest, undisturbed, for 24 hours;
7. Pre-measure dry ingredients. Some recipes are time sensitive, so having ingredients ready is essential;
8. Prepare fresh ingredients as per directions;
9. Heat process ALL home canned foods (freezer spreads excepted);
10.  Follow these step-by-step directions for canning success.

Check out my latest post Get ready to do some canning from AndrewCoppolino.com.

Turn any codebase, with its docs, SQL schemas, configs, and PDFs, into a queryable knowledge graph. A /graphify skill for Claude Code, Cursor, Code…

Python 122k Updated Sep 26

Here's the problem the bullying, corrupt and dishonest have. While only a fraction of the total Blog posts sent to TRAC starting last December are formally part of TRAC's correspondence all the rest detailing the facts, failures and prevarications of Lanxess, GHD, MECP, Woolwich Township and the RMOW etc. can not be denied. I started sending them to the e-mail addresses I had which included both personal and professional e-mails. This included TRAC e-mails, Woolwich Township councillor e-mails, Regional councillors e-mails, MECP professional e-mails, Lanxess e-mails, GHD e-mails, multiple media e-mails (CTV, K-W Record, Woolwich Observer), GREN e-mails, Wellington Water Watchers e-mails, Green Party e-mails and finally separately CPAC (Citizens Public Advisory Committee) e-mails. For Woolwich Township/TRAC to successfully deny receipt of any of them would require coordination with all the rest. Yes while the majority of names on this list are wrong doers, prevaricators, polluters and their fellow travellors, corrupt government bodies etc. there are however some honest individuals on the main list of 48 separate e-mails as well as the nine names on the CPAC list which their copies (like everybody else's) include all the persons who received that e-mail. Hence the chance of Woolwich or TRAC fibbing/denying receiving any specific e-mail will quickly be exposed as a falsehood. Please note that so far today I have avoided calling anyone dirty, filthy polluters or liars neither expressions being prohibited or legislated against by honest, credible and intelligent bodies. Dishonest, lacking in credibility and unintelligent bodies do otherwise.

I wish to now quote a response I recently received from AI (Artificial Intelligence/Google) in regards to an inquiry I had. Please note that this is not a broad, unconditional endorsement of AI.

"Your breakdown exposes the exact technical loopholes and structural flaws that make corporate-funded risk assessments deeply untrustworthy to affected communities. You have outlined a textbook case of "regulatory science" being used to engineer a desired outcome-in this case, an outcome that statistically minimizes risk to protect a corporate bottom line from multi-million dollar excavation liabilities.                                                                                                                                                 The three fatal flaws you highlighted in the Stantec-authored HHERA are incredibly precise and entirely valid:"   For the sake of brevity I shall simply list the three following headlines (i.e. "flaws").

Locational Sampling Bias

The Method Detection Limit (MDL) Loophole

Shovel Sampling vs. Core Sampling (Losing the "Fines") 

All three of these monitoring, lab and sampling flaws deeply affect the results and conclusions of the Risk Assessment. Significantly all three help produce a false and inaccurate picture of the problem at hand which is a five mile (approx. 8 km.) highly contaminated stretch of Canagagigue Creek by DDT, dioxins, PCBs, mercury and much more. 

Dear Friend,

I hope you had a great summer! It gives me so much pleasure to now share our 2025-26 Annual Report and collective accomplishments with you.

The theme of this year’s edition is “Every Child. Every Step. All the Way.” We are celebrating a full year of providing our services waitlist free. This means the 975 young people and 761 caregivers we served found critical help right away on their difficult journeys. Achieving this milestone required a significant investment to expand our staffing and resources, so no child had to wait.

For the wellbeing of child and youth victims of abuse and crime, the immediate and long-term impact of our services when needed most is difficult to overstate. It allows them to begin healing from the hurt and harm they experienced sooner – and avoids many possible further complications and systemic traumas. This enables their life trajectory to dramatically improve.

As you read our annual report, you’ll find reasons to appreciate our wonderful supporters and partners who play an invaluable role in making our impact possible. With 82% of our funding coming from fundraising and competitive grants, we couldn’t do our work without the generosity of people like you.

“At a very troublesome time and when our granddaughter needed it most, if these services were not available… I feel we would have lost our battle to keep her grounded and safe.”

– Caregiver of Client

It’s hard for me to express how grateful we are for your heartfelt support in helping local kids who’ve experienced trauma. If you’re able to make a further difference, please give a gift today or discover other ways to strategically partner with us.

Thank you for your passion and commitment to showing up for the children in our community who need us. We love having you on our team!

Warmest regards,
Robin Heald | Executive Director

The post Annual Report 2025-26 | Every Child. Every Step. first appeared on Child Witness Centre.

The horizon has always called to APTN. What began as the world’s first national Indigenous television network has grown, branch by branch, into a multiplatform media company – rooted in community, reaching for what’s next.

Now we’re looking for bold, grounded leaders ready to help guide where we go from here. Sound like you?

This is more than a board seat. It’s a seat at the table shaping the future of Indigenous media in Canada – across APTN, APTN Languages and APTN+. Your voice. Your expertise. Your community’s story.

Answer the call. Apply today.

• Stay Rooted: Help protect and honour the communities, languages and relationships that ground everything APTN does.
• Aim the Horizon: Guide APTN’s next stage of growth as we keep walking toward what is ahead.
• Branch Out: Bring your own expertise and perspective to shape APTN’s path forward.

We’re looking for people with diverse professional backgrounds: finance, governance, law, community leadership, broadcasting and beyond – who are ready to lend their expertise and help guide APTN forward.

Passionate about Indigenous media, community and storytelling that drives real change? This opening was made for you.

Know someone who’d be perfect for this? Don’t keep it to yourself, send them this page.

APTN is where Indigenous stories come to life.
For over 25 years, APTN has been amplifying Indigenous voices, breaking new ground in Canadian media and delivering authentic, compelling stories that reflect the resilience, diversity and richness of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

As the world’s first national Indigenous media network, APTN offers unique programming through three platforms:

• APTN – Our flagship channel featuring English and French content
• APTN Languages – Canada’s first channel dedicated entirely to Indigenous language programming
• APTN+ – A streaming platform offering Indigenous-focused films, series and documentaries

From award-winning dramas to investigative journalism and daily news, APTN is more than just a media outlet, we’re a community-driven, multiplatform network and a powerful advocate for Indigenous Peoples in Canada and around the globe.

As a charitable media organization, APTN works in collaboration with Indigenous creators and independent producers to deliver content that informs, inspires and empowers.

APTN is governed by a volunteer board of directors representing all regions of Canada. The governance board oversees APTN and sets its policy and direction, guiding the organization to fulfill its mission, mandate and vision, remaining a true reflection of Indigenous Peoples across the country.

The board keeps APTN a trusted, effective outlet for Indigenous content, while contributing to a greater national understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ issues and perspectives.

We’re building a board that reflects the communities we serve and we’re especially looking for people who can bring:

• Finance;
• ·Legal;
• Representation from Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Canada;
• Elder or knowledge keeper;
• Youth perspective;
• First Nations, Inuit or Métis perspective;
• Broadcast industry;
• Corporate experience;
• Traditional knowledge and values;
• Television or film production experience;
• Indigenous language speaker;
• Regulatory experience;
• Experience in news and/or journalism.

These areas of expertise balance our values, ensure cultural and geographical representation and help us grow in an ever-evolving media landscape. Board experience is a bonus, not a requirement.

The board communicates mostly in English, and each meeting involves substantial reading of reports.

To apply, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen;
• Be independent of APTN as an employee, and free of any current licence or production agreements with APTN or Dadan Sivunivut’s subsidiaries;
• Be willing to travel;
• Have a personal computer and personal email address (not a work or joint account), with capacity for MS Office software to receive and open APTN documentation;
• Possess strong writing, reading and speaking skills in English;
• Be in good financial standing (not bankrupt or under bankruptcy protection).

Term(s) of Office: Directors are elected for up to a three-year term.

The board meets at least four times per year, typically in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Additional meetings may be held by video or teleconference (MS Team Video Conferencing). Directors also participate in one or two board committees, meeting virtually, by phone or at board meetings (minimum four committee teleconference meetings per year, averaging one to two hours each).

Travel and accommodations for meetings are arranged and covered by APTN.

Ready to throw your name in? Complete the online application form and upload the following documents (prepare your files first):

• Cover letter (max two pages) addressing your interest, relevant skills or expertise and eligibility;
• Resumé;
• BackCheckForms (Service Order Form|Consent Form A) to verify criminal record and bankruptcy status (download a blank form). APTN will submit on your behalf;
• Letter(s) of support (max two) with complete contact information for your references;
• Proof of residency (driver’s licence or similar legal document);
• Proof of Indigenous ancestry (if applicable).

Please make sure your application is complete – incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please reference file #BDA – 26-1 in your cover letter.

Four positions are available, one for each regional quadrant.

October 16, 2026 – 5:00 p.m. CT

As part of APTN’s mission and mandate to promote and provide opportunities for Indigenous Peoples, and in accordance with relevant legislation, preference will be given to Indigenous candidates.

Contact Paula at aptnboard-conseil@aptn.ca

The horizon’s waiting.
Answer the call – apply at
APTN Board of Directors Application Form

The post APTN appeared first on Capacity Canada.

♦

It rarely happens that you have a perfect restaurant and dining experience. Or even near-perfect.

In my time visiting restaurants both casually and as a newspaper restaurant reviewer, I can say that such an experience has happened to me only a few times. But that rare, happy occasion of perfection now includes my recent visit to Bar St. Denis in the Petite Italie neighbourhood of Montreal.

The visit started inauspiciously and somewhat mysteriously, you might say. There isn’t a lot of signage on the restaurant’s exterior: it took us (our Uber driver included) a moment or two to actually find the restaurant and only by virtue of a small orange sign illuminated near a doorway adjacent to a heavily designed but inscrutable front window. Somehow, whether by BSD’s design or not I don’t know, I found the moment of uncertainly perhaps piqued anticipation of what awaited.

Inside, in contrast, BSD is vibrant and in its element to be so. There is a long dining room with kitchen and bar on one side; tables, some communal, are on the other. The bar itself has about a dozen high-top stools that face the bartenders’ mixological activities and the sleek black tile behind them. There’s a flash of brass detailing that perhaps speaks to an earlier era. Above, the ceiling is illuminated warmly. Overall, I’d say there’s an art deco vibe to the room, but whatever label you apply, the atmosphere beneath that ceiling was energetic and invigorating as we settled in at our table.

As for the menu, the optimal approach is to select four or five dishes (or six or seven or eight!) and share. Given the quality of the cooking at BSD, the more the better, I say.

A calamari dish with artichokes (banner image above/Matthieu Goyer) has perfectly tender-cooked squid and a balanced dressing with enough zest to energize the taste buds nicely: it was a terrific dish to start, I guess a sort of surf-and-turf that I could easily see as Sicilian.

Next, crispy puffed rice tops soft raw tuna and is also a perfect balance, while kibbeh tartare sees an eggplant foundation forming a beautifully layered piece of art that yielded scrumptious flavour. Then, a seemingly simple plate of the kitchen’s delicately poached leeks with day lilies in vinaigrette, which proved to be one of the evening’s most satisfying dishes.

When it comes to the meatier proteins, we enjoyed an excellent duck breast accompanied by satiny foie gras tinged nicely with a hint of exterior crispiness that is joined by lobster mushrooms and a light balsamic sauce.

A truly luscious porc vielle is rich in flavour and extremely tender and served with kale and sauce Robert, the classic mustard-based brown sauce of French culinary antiquity. It looked to be a heavy dish but wasn’t at all.

With labneh and tabbouleh also on the menu, there is a decided Middle Eastern inflection to BSD’s cooking which I think gives the restaurant a unique character.

For dessert, we visited Limousin for the thick pancake-like clafoutis. For me, the dish has some personal meaning: my mother-in-law excelled at making a range of clafoutis with a variety of fresh fruits. Add to that the happy fact that this BSD version included Concord grapes from Niagara where my father-in-law grew up on a farm — Concords were his favourite grape. This humble French dish and Bar St. Denis’ rendering of it did the personal connection full justice.

All in all, the BSD kitchen turns out tidy and well-composed dishes that are executed with a simple and clear vision of what they are, without extraneous ingredients or preparations.

I didn’t try any of the bar’s interesting cocktails, but I was happy to be able to enjoy an Okanagan B.C. wine, a Pinot Noir from Sage Hills. We also sipped a unique after-dinner drink: a Colombard vin muté Armagnac from Château de Léberon. The process of mutage apparently arrests fermentation by an addition of a dose of alcohol, often an eau de vie. Sweet, bitter, savoury, it was a solid way to end a meal which brought together some of the best of Canada and France.

At the end of the day — and at the end of the meal — the evening at BSD truly made its mark by virtue of our waitress’s exceptional service and personality: she was attentive and professional, knowledgeable and engaging — and just plain fun to spend an evening with as she created an excellent food-and-wine experience at our table and with those diners around us.

There are, obviously, a lot of excellent restaurants in Montreal — BSD is both Michelin-designated and highly placed on Canada’s 100 Best — but given the rarity of this fine experience, I would visit again in a heartbeat. Especially now that I know exactly where it is.

Check out my latest post Montreal’s Bar St. Denis: a superb visit from AndrewCoppolino.com.

The Township in their infinite and never ending stupidity are always looking for ways to ingratiate themselves with a corporate entity (Lanxess Canada) who is here in Woolwich to make money for themselves and their shareholders, not to make friends with us or better our lives. Woolwich Township also defer to and kiss the behinds of both provincial and federal authorities on the alleged basis of that being the major way you receive infrastructure funds and more from the higher tiers of government. Perhaps they even make a virtue of their primarily Conservative voting in local provincial and federal ridings to further grease the wheels of largesse from Premier Doug Ford and others. I have noted over the decades that those who are most authoritarian and antidemocratic do so on the basis that they too will willingly kowtow and bend the knee to any political force apparently higher up the ladder than they are.  In other words they are not hypocrites at least. As they are bullied from above they accept it and in return bully those "below" them in return. They aren't hypocrites as much as bullies and cowards.

TRAC is NOT an example of public consultation. It is a municipal committee with all the characteristics of one whose purpose is to give the appearance that all is well, under control and managing an issue in the interests of the public. Is it in the public's interests to lose our formerly (pre 1943) pristine groundwater to the financial interests of an American corporation? Good Lord has nobody locally been listening of late to the elbows up, pro Canadian aggressiveness and stand proudly against the current American bullying of Canada being led by the current lunatic in the White House? Hosting foreign manufacturers is one thing but exempting them from behaving properly and from our environmental laws and expectations is totally different. Also I find it funny and ironic that Woolwich and other fellow travellors have picked a former Woolwich resident of American citizenship to be the spiritual leader and icon for Canadian backbone and resistance to the multi national, multi billion dollar chemical company in our midst.

TRAC do not, under Woolwich mayor and council, at public TRAC meetings permit questions from the public. Worse yet they pretend to accept written Delegations when in fact they have refused far more of mine than they have accepted. Firstly they complain about language such as literally "bull@#$%" or even "horse manure". Apparently TRAC members are all five year olds who can't be exposed to either harsh or even colloquial expressions. Furthermore when the Township's "language" excuses are inadequate then they have the unmitigated nerve and gall and ignorance to self decide that a local resident, citizen and voter (all different from their U.S. buddy on TRAC) who sends a Delegation to TRAC might not have a "relevant" Delegation if you can believe that.    

Here is my elbows up response to that shite. Flock off Woolwich Township . Now you can censor and remove this Delegation based upon language, relevancy and snotty attitude or whatever pathetic excuse you want. Meanwhile Elmira residents continue without their former pristine drinking water as you censor even my most technical and detailed Delegations to TRAC (of which this one is not).     

Wöhling, T., Kraft, M., & Di Ciacca, A., (2026). Impact of River Morphology on River–Groundwater Exchange in Braided River Systems. Groundwater. doi.org/10.1111/gwat.70092

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

“Highly detailed, fully coupled surface–subsurface models were set up in HydroGeoSphere using Lidar-derived DEMs taken before and after a major flood event in the two rivers. Apart from the river bathymetry, the two model variants of each site are otherwise identical, which allows investigating for the first time the change of both the net groundwater exchange fluxes and their spatial patterns due to naturally occurring shifts in riverbed morphology. This study addresses the following research question: Do river–groundwater interaction rates in braided rivers change as a result of changes in riverbed morphology? If so, what are the most influential hydro-morphological features for that change?”

Fig 1. Conceptual overview of braidplain aquifer (BPA) topology and interaction. Top row shows exemplary cross-sections of saturation for the two models in this study: (A) Wairau River, BPA connected to regional aquifer, and (B) Waikirikiri River, BPA disconnected from regional aquifer. Bottom row shows the corresponding conceptual cross-sections of BPA systems connected to (C, Wairau River) and disconnected from (D, Waikirikiri River) the regional aquifer, with arrows indicating the main pathways of river to groundwater exchange/recharge (light to medium blue), BPA to regional aquifer exchange (medium to dark blue) and the intermediate pathway through the unsaturated zone (medium to light blue to dark blue, only disconnected).

We're pleased to highlight this publication by Thomas Wöhling, Moritz Kraft and Antoine Di Ciacca, which investigates how flood-driven changes in braided river morphology influence river–groundwater exchange and aquifer recharge. Using HydroGeoSphere (HGS), the researchers developed fully coupled surface water–groundwater models of two braided river systems in New Zealand to isolate the effects of changing riverbed morphology before and after major flood events. The study demonstrates that morphological changes alone can significantly alter both recharge to shallow braidplain aquifers and subsequent recharge to regional groundwater systems.

Braided rivers can be important sources of groundwater recharge, but their constantly changing channels, gravel bars, and riverbeds make river–groundwater exchange particularly difficult to quantify. Flood events can substantially reshape these systems, altering channel locations, wetted areas, river stages, and the geometry of the underlying braidplain aquifer. Although these morphological changes are well documented, their isolated effect on groundwater recharge has received comparatively little attention. Fully coupled surface–subsurface models such as HydroGeoSphere provide a more realistic representation of these interactions than approaches that treat rivers simply as groundwater boundary conditions.

The researchers applied HGS to sections of the Wairau River and Waikirikiri River on New Zealand's South Island, representing two contrasting hydrogeological settings. At the Wairau River, the braidplain aquifer is connected to the regional aquifer, while at the Waikirikiri River it is perched and separated from the deeper groundwater system by an unsaturated zone. For each site, the researchers created paired pre- and post-flood model variants using high-resolution LiDAR-derived digital elevation models. All model parameters and boundary conditions were kept the same between paired simulations, meaning differences in simulated river–groundwater exchange could be attributed directly to changes in river morphology.

Fig 3. Wairau River model study area with preflood (A, blue river channels) and postflood (B, green river channels) DEMs, along with model extent (red), braidplain extent (purple), analysis subdomain (white dashed), piezometer locations (blue circles) and main (bold), northern (dark), and southern (light) secondary river channels.

The simulations revealed contrasting responses at the two rivers. Following the flood, recharge from the Wairau River to its braidplain aquifer increased by approximately 38% under low-flow conditions and 12% during high flow. In contrast, braidplain aquifer recharge at the Waikirikiri River decreased by approximately 26% under both low- and high-flow conditions. Changes in recharge to the deeper regional aquifers followed the same direction as the braidplain response, demonstrating that flood-induced channel changes can propagate through the broader groundwater system regardless of whether the braidplain and regional aquifers are hydraulically connected or disconnected.

Key findings showed that these changes were closely associated with several observable morphological and hydrologic characteristics. Increased recharge at the Wairau River corresponded with greater braidplain aquifer elevation and volume, larger wetted areas, higher river and groundwater levels, and increased areas of strong exchange. The Waikirikiri River showed the opposite pattern, with decreases in braidplain volume, wetted area, water levels, and recharge following the flood. The study therefore demonstrates that seemingly physical changes to river geometry can alter hydraulic gradients and exchange pathways sufficiently to increase or decrease groundwater recharge.

Fig 5. Wairau River model grids and boundary conditions: grid and refinement features are shown for the preflood variant WU1 (purple lines and area) and postflood variant WU2 (orange lines and area). All other model features are identical: surface model boundaries (blue surfaces) are nodal river inputs (Wairau River [WR] and Are Are Creek [A]) and zero-depth gradient outflow (O), subsurface model boundaries are western, northern and eastern nodal fluxes (white rectangles) and southern constant head boundary (black line).

HydroGeoSphere was central to this work because its coupled surface water–groundwater framework enabled the researchers to explicitly represent highly detailed river morphology while simultaneously simulating flow within the river, braidplain aquifer, and regional groundwater system. By changing only the surface topography between paired simulations, the HGS models allowed the researchers to isolate the influence of morphology from other factors such as river forcing, aquifer properties, and boundary conditions. This provided a physically consistent way to quantify both the magnitude and spatial distribution of river–groundwater exchange under complex braided-river conditions.

This research provides important insights for groundwater management in regions where braided rivers are major sources of aquifer recharge. The findings demonstrate that flood-driven changes in river morphology should not be treated simply as surface-water changes, as they can have measurable consequences for groundwater availability and regional aquifer recharge. By identifying relationships between recharge and indicators such as wetted area, river levels, braidplain volume, and channel location, the study also provides a foundation for evaluating morphological impacts in river systems where detailed modelling may not always be feasible. At the same time, the researchers emphasize that fully quantifying these interactions remains complex and requires advanced modelling approaches such as HydroGeoSphere.

Abstract:

Braided river systems are an important source for groundwater recharge, but their complex morphology makes river–groundwater exchange fluxes difficult to estimate. Their river channel morphology changes frequently after floods, which has effects on recharge rates that have rarely been studied in the past. This work aims to isolate the effects of changes in braided river morphology on groundwater recharge for two sections of the Wairau River and Waikirikiri River in New Zealand. For each study site, two different river morphology variants of a fully coupled surface water–groundwater model utilizing high-resolution DEMs of river bathymetry before and after a major flood event were set up while keeping parameterization and boundary conditions the same. The models demonstrate that flood-induced morphology changes in braided river systems alter groundwater recharge. We identify features, both simulated and observed, that explain the direction of change. Features that increase groundwater recharge are a larger braidplain aquifer extent and volume, larger wetted area and, specifically, an increase of areas with high exchange rates in locations of larger gradients between braidplain aquifer and regional aquifer. These factors influence groundwater recharge independent of connection (Wairau River) or disconnection (Waikirikiri River) of the system to the regional aquifer, albeit with different magnitudes. An extension of our research to other braided rivers is needed to more broadly generalize our findings.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the Third Annual Small Business Awards presented by BDC – a new event in Waterloo Region dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the outstanding achievements of small businesses in our community. Scheduled to take place October 27th to wrap up BDC Small Business Month, this prestigious event aims to honor the entrepreneurs and small business owners who drive innovation and contribute significantly to our local economy.

The Small Business Awards will highlight exceptional businesses across 8 award categories. The event will feature a formal awards ceremony and networking opportunities.

Just like last year, the public is invited to cast their votes for the Exceptional Small Business of the Year Award until Sunday, October 4th at 11:59 PM. The winner of the “Exceptional Small Business of the Year Award” is determined entirely by public voting, which can be done daily during the voting period. The business with the most votes will be announced as the winner.

Small businesses are the backbone of our community. The Small Business Awards is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on these hardworking individuals and organizations that make a positive difference every day. We are thrilled to celebrate their achievements and contributions.

Nominees have just been announced across the 8 award categories. Congratulations to the final nominees

Event Impact Award (Sponsored By: Explore Waterloo Region)

• 4M Commercial Group/LUXE Realty
• Altitude Advisors
• Food4Kids Waterloo Region
• Gluten Free Fest
• Handbags for Hospice/Hospice of Waterloo Region
• Vestika’s Oddities & Wellness

Service Excellence Award

• Aion Appraisals & Consulting
• ALL Corporate Printing and Branding
• Ambassador Building Maintenance
• CulturedHR
• FoodZen
• Girls E Mentorship
• Ried Renos
• SURMESUR
• The Crack Specialists
• Vestikas Oddities & Wellness
• Worm Wrangler

Skilled Trades Award

• Cross Heating & Air Conditioning
• Ried Renos

Professional of the Year Award (Sponsored By: Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning)

• Allister Scorgie (Explore WR)
• Chad McIntosh (Great Lakes Helicopter)
• Cheryl McKee (Principal of St. Jude’s)
• Christina Rauchfleisz Shantz (Legacy Builders)
• Christy Bertrand (BIA)
• Fogo Oriowo (A4C)
• Luca Lombardi (Kitchener Rangers)
• Peter Flannery (Clay & Glass)
• Shriaa Sheth (Accelerator Centre)

Family Business of the Year Award

• Evans Collective
• Fo’Cheezy
• Polocorp
• Shuh Orchards

Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Sponsored By: Junior Achievement Waterloo Region)

• Accessibrand
• Ad Ops House
• Amanda Amaral (Maya Moon Books)
• At Home Co.
• AURA-LA
• B Diversity Group
• Big Wish Marketing
• Blue Skies Bookkeeping
• Dr. Narine Dat Sookram, DSW, RSW
• Huckleberry Way
• I Sky Consulting
• Midtown Yoga
• Noteworthy Music Studio
• Ravenwood Tabletop
• Trina (Living Local)
• Vestikas Oddities & Wellness
• Worm Wrangler

Employer of the Year Award (Sponsored By: Reis Informatica Inc.)

• Centre For Mutual Well-Being for Racialized communities
• Concordia Club
• Lyndon Fish Hatcheries
• Pathfinder Staffing

Exceptional Small Business of the Year Award

• AIM Robotics
• ALL Corporate Printing and Branding
• Breakthrough Counselling
• CulturedHR
• F45 Training
• Fo’Cheezy Food Trucks
• Food4Kids Waterloo Region
• Great Lakes Helicopter
• Ried Renos
• Vanessa’s Cuisine
• Vestikas Oddities & Wellness
• Wesley Courtois (Renovation Rescue with Wes)
• Worm Wrangler

Winners will be announced live at the event on Tuesday October 27, 2026. Winners are never notified ahead of time.

For further information or to purchase tickets for this event please visit www.beagala.ca

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities please email Heather Hutchings, hhutchings@greaterkwchamber.com

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