Wendy Leger, Canadian, Senior Officer with Environment and Climate Change Canada

So I’ve always lived near the lakes, when I was young I lived near Lake Ontario. But probably my biggest connection was when I started my first summer job with Environment Canada. I got the opportunity to travel all along the north shore of Lake Ontario and the east shore of Lake Huron and we were doing erosion surveys because the water levels were high and there was a lot of erosion. That experience really brought connection to me with the Great Lakes I saw first hand their beauty and their dynamics and their power. It was a real experience for me I will never forget. It really connected me to the lakes and to want to be part of making them better and to be part of the scientific community. That really was the entry for me as a student to Environment Canada and provided me with the opportunities to eventually get hired as a physical scientist with Environment Canada.

I work on multidisciplinary multijurisdictional large Great Lakes St. Lawrence River projects. My focus right now is on Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management - working primarily on water levels and water level regulation and ongoing assessment of changes to the system and how that affects how we manage the system.

I am the Canadian co-chair for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee and I work with my national membership for the ongoing review and assessment of the lake regulation plans.