The Southern Alberta Group for the Environment is hosting a free film screening and expert talk in Canmore, Alberta, on February 19, 2026, to discuss threats to local water sources. The event focuses on how industrial activities like logging and mining can impact the community’s water supply.
The featured documentary, Trouble in the Headwaters, examines the connection between clear-cut logging and the 2018 floods in Grand Forks, British Columbia. It includes research from Dr. Younes Alila, a professor of forest hydrology at the University of British Columbia, who explains how industrial logging reduces the natural ability of the land to hold and manage water.
This discussion follows a period of water scarcity in the region, including a Stage 4 drought in early 2024. According to the Southern Alberta Group for the Environment, 38 major water users in the area had to create voluntary water-sharing agreements to manage the shortage at that time.
The event also addresses concerns regarding coal mining in the Eastern Slopes. In 2025, the provincial government paid a total of $237.5 million to settle lawsuits with two coal companies after exploration projects were suspended in the area.
Residents can attend the screening to learn about local environmental risks and how to participate in efforts to protect the region’s headwaters. More information about registration and attendance is available through the organizer’s website.
