Every March 22, the world celebrates water in all its myriad forms. This year’s World Water Day theme is Glacier Preservation and protecting our frozen water resources for future use. While this theme is important to life all over the world, here in Canada it is vital, as our country is home to the Canadian Arctic and the Rocky Mountains, both landscapes that rely heavily on the conservation of this frozen resource.

As told by Julia Barnes, a documentary filmmaker, volunteer with Water Docs, and friend of the late Rob Stewart. This speech was given as part of our Water Warrior Award presentation at our 11th annual Water Docs Film Festival in Toronto on Nov. 17, 2023. Rob’s parents, Brian and Sandy Stewart, accepted the award on Rob’s behalf.

Here is a breakdown of the 2023 Water Docs Film Festival in-person screening blocks that can help you decide which programs you absolutely “must-see”… and they’re all FREE! See you at the movies…

Across the country, wetlands are being destroyed by industry and agriculture. They are drained and filled so people can construct buildings, farm the land, or install infrastructure. Wetlands also face threats from pollution and climate change. As droughts intensify, wetlands can dry up.

Worldwide, 60% of wetlands have been lost. Wetlands are disappearing faster than any other natural community.

Fog lingers in the cool dawn air. With each step I take, the boardwalk sinks and water rises through the slats. All around, there are plants – clumps of sedges, sphagnum moss, leatherleaf, and sweet gale shrubs. Spider webs that would normally be invisible in the branches shine with the dew they have collected overnight – tiny droplets like glass beads strung across complex architecture.

Ontario's Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act was passed in November of 2022 and allows the province to override local planning decisions and increase the speed and density of housing development. The bill seeks to address the housing crisis in Ontario, but environmental activists argue that it will result in the destruction of currently undeveloped areas with the removal of important protections for existing green spaces and natural habitats.