On March 24, 2026, Labatt Breweries of Canada and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) announced a $10,000 investment to launch a community water monitoring program for the Upper Thames River watershed. The announcement, made at Labatt’s London brewery, will fund a program to train local volunteers to help protect the river system across southwestern Ontario, including communities from London through St. Thomas.
The new funding will be used to develop a community science program that provides residents with the tools and training needed to watch over local waterways. This watershed covers approximately 3,430 square kilometres and is home to nearly 600,000 people, flowing through several communities before draining into Lake St. Clair and eventually Lake Erie.
Information collected by these volunteers will help the conservation authority plan future environmental work, including planting trees, managing invasive species, and creating new habitats for wildlife. The partnership also includes a volunteer program for brewery employees, who will participate in an Earth Day river cleanup event in London this spring.
Brian Petrie, the Mayor of Ingersoll and chair of the conservation authority board, said during the announcement that a healthy watershed is essential for both the community and the brewing process. Labatt’s London brewery is the largest in its network and has already improved its water efficiency by 12.5 per cent since 2017.
