Breaking Water with Larry Cavero
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Larry Cavero of Surf Dreams Canada, who is a seasoned Great Lakes surfer.
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Larry Cavero of Surf Dreams Canada, who is a seasoned Great Lakes surfer.
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us where you work/what you do?
My name is Larry Cavero and I am a Dental Technologist.
Where did you grow up? Did you have a relationship with water there?
I grew up in Lima-Peru, by the Pacific Ocean.
I spent my entire life in the water. Surfing gave me the opportunity to have this love/respect relationship with water at a very young age.
When did you first decide to surf Lake Ontario? What has your Great Lakes surf experience been like?
I first started surfing Lake Ontario in 1997. I saw this big mass of water, like an ocean when I first arrived in Canada (1992) and I knew that I will find waves to surf and explore it one day.
My experience with the Great Lakes is unique. It’s a miracle that we’re able to surf them and drink the water while we’re waiting for waves! Where else in the world could you do that? The Great Lakes has its special ingredients such as weather spices, beautiful and tasty marine life, delicious water and a perfect natural filtration system that allowed us all to enjoy it year-round.
The Great Lakes changed my life, it actually gave me my life back! That lost connection (I thought that I will never surf again) is real! The Great Lakes has given me a family, a community, an education and an understanding of the issues and of how we could do better to keep it as beautiful as it is so we can share it.
Why is it important to you to inspire the next generation of Great Lakes surfers?
It’s important because I’ve learnt my entire life that what matters the most and what you love so much, must be shared. I want the new generation of Great Lakes surfers to know the truth about the importance of a community, our water source and history of how Indigenous communities around the The Great Lakes, have been using these waters for generations and also how surfing can help you to understand all these so we can become a better human being, share and enjoy life forever.
Do you have anything else that you’d like to share about your work, your connection to water, or how we can encourage people to join the movement for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future?
We know that our commitment with the water is endless and to keep it clean and better in order to be able to swim, drink and fish, we must do something about it. Actions speak and are way bigger than words. There are many ways to start an action and to build a relationship with our waterways. Such as:
Don’t wash your car at home where it all ends at the water drain. The unfiltered runoff from washing your vehicle at home sends grease, gasoline and harmful dirt into our waterways, harming fish and other wildlife. Instead, take it to a car wash where water is filtered before it ends up in our lakes.
Don't litter. Pick up any garbage you see at the beach or anywhere.
Use your water wisely. Don’t waste it and don’t use fertilizers and chemical pesticides.
There are many awesome biodegradable products out there, use them.
Join beach cleanups! Bring the family, friends and neighbours. It makes a huge difference each time and is fun! It bonds communities together and helps us learn about these issues first hand.
Photos: Geoff Ortiz and Lucas Murnaghan
Clif Family Foundation is proud to support hundreds of organizations that are working tirelessly to strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and protect the places we play by being stewards of our environment and natural resources. Their desire is to leave the world a better place for our children.
Breaking Water with Mark Chiang
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Rev. Mark Chaing. Mark is a Community Scientist with the Swim Drink Fish Edmonton Water Monitoring Hub.
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Rev. Mark Chaing. After becoming interested in the water quality of his local river, Mark began his journey with Swim Drink Fish. Mark is a Community Scientist with the Swim Drink Fish Edmonton Water Monitoring Hub.
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us where you work/what you do?
My name is Mark, and I work for a Presbyterian Church in Edmonton, Alberta. I am also a Doctor of Ministry student, studying Queer Theology.
Where did you grow up? Did you have a relationship with water there?
I grew up in Ontario with parents who were zoology and ecology students. They had us out regularly in creeks and marshes and bogs, identifying plants and chasing after tadpoles. Being paid as student lab technicians, they couldn’t afford camps or travel for us, so instead, we went to nearby lakes to play at the shoreline. It gave me a passion for open water swimming.
What inspired you to volunteer with Swim Drink Fish and how has the experience been so far?
I love living in Edmonton, but I was always frustrated that there wasn’t a place close by to swim. Last summer, I saw a report that the North Saskatchewan River was safe to swim in. 15 years here, and this was the first time I heard it! I was ecstatic but skeptical. How do we know it’s safe? That question led me to volunteer with Swim Drink Fish.
I’ve had an excellent time with Swim Drink Fish, and I brag to my family that now I’m a scientist too!
What have you learned during your experience with Swim Drink Fish that has really surprised you?
We collect samples from two locations along the North Saskatchewan River. It’s just a short bike ride apart, but their results can be very different. This surprised me and made me realize the impact our urban area has on the river. It makes me want to advocate for a cleaner, healthier river — from one end of Edmonton to the other.
Do you have anything else that you’d like to share about your work, your connection to water, or how we can encourage people to join the movement for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future?
Like me, most Edmontonians don’t realize they can swim in their own river. By posting our test results and testing more locations, we can help dispel the myth that the river is dirty. I believe getting more people to swim in the river will help convince our city to prioritize cleaner water.
If you’re interested in becoming a Community Scientist, visit https://www.swimdrinkfish.ca/volunteer
Clif Family Foundation is proud to support hundreds of organizations that are working tirelessly to strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and protect the places we play by being stewards of our environment and natural resources. Their desire is to leave the world a better place for our children.
Breaking Water with Dr. Elaine Leung
This Breaking Water segment features Dr. Elaine Leung. Dr. Elaine Leung is the Executive Director and Founder of the Vancouver-based charity, Sea Smart.
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Dr. Elaine Leung, the Executive Director and Founder of the Vancouver-based charity, Sea Smart.
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us where you work and what you do?
I'm Dr Elaine Leung; I'm a marine biologist, Founder and Executive Director of Sea Smart. Sea Smart is a Vancouver-based charity whose mission is to inspire and empower kids to love and protect our oceans. Since our inception in 2016, we’ve empowered over 40,000 people through in-person programs across Metro Vancouver and over 700,000 people in over 30 countries through our free online educator resources to become ocean heroes. We deliver innovative, solutions-based education programs like outdoor summer camps, school workshops, online courses and shoreline cleanups to empower kids to make the world a better place. Sea Smart is powering waves of change around the world to ensure our future generations will live in a world with healthy oceans full of whales, fish and hope.
What inspired you to begin a career involving water?
I always thought our ocean was beautiful, mysterious and powerful. I never thought I would pursue a career involving water because I get seasick and I'm a horrible swimmer! But I've always been passionate about making the world a better place and for my first real job after high school, I was given the lifetime opportunity to do research on sea lions for the University of British Columbia. I fell in love with marine biology and never looked back!
Where did you grow up? Did you have a relationship with water there?
I was born and raised on the unceded and traditional homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil Waututh) and Coast Salish peoples in a city known as Vancouver. Ever since I was little, my parents would take me to explore the beaches here and Vancouver is where I got my scuba diving certification 20 years ago!
What is the most powerful memory you have of being on or near the water?
Is it cheating if I say I've had countless life-changing memories from being on the water? I've worked as a marine biologist for over 15 years studying threatened marine animals around the world and I'm so grateful to have so many amazing experiences...from having a pod of nine killer whales diving under my kayak to surfing in green fairy dust bioluminescence to having curious juvenile sea lions swimming loops around me to watching marine iguanas diving to feed on algae while I'm snorkelling...all of these plus more are incredibly powerful memories for me and remind me why it's so important to protect our ocean.
How does Sea Smart encourage others to know and safeguard their waters?
At Sea Smart, we passionately believe that a journey in conservation begins with a love for the natural world. Through our programs and resources, we seek to spark that love. We're focussed on youth in particular, because while we know most young people want to help combat climate change, there aren't enough resources that empower them to make a tangible, positive impact. In our summer camps and school workshops, we encourage students to be creative in imagining a better future. We are so proud to be building a strong interest in science and sustainable action that will translate into a life of care for our natural environment and waterways.
Photos: Sea Smart
Clif Family Foundation is proud to support hundreds of organizations that are working tirelessly to strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and protect the places we play by being stewards of our environment and natural resources. Their desire is to leave the world a better place for our children.
Breaking Water with Jordan-na Belle-Isle
This Breaking Water segment features Jordan-na Belle-lsle. Jordan-na is a Toronto-based expert in all things related to stand up paddleboarding (SUP).
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Jordan-na Belle-lsle. Jordan-na is a Toronto-based expert in all things related to stand up paddleboarding (SUP).
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us where you work/what you do?
Hi there! I'm Jordan-na Belle-lsle, a Toronto stand up paddleboard (SUP) instructor, writer, and community builder. I'm a team member for Montreal SUP company Taiga Board and a co-organizer for Lakes Surfistas, a grassroots group of women who surf and SUP the Great Lakes year-round.
Could you tell us about your personal connection to the water?
I was born and raised in Montreal. Even though I was surrounded by water, my interactions with water were limited to visits to my family in the Laurentians and on camping trips in Québec and the Maritimes. I loved being in a canoe or strolling on the beach; there is something peaceful and soothing about being near water. It wasn't until I moved to Toronto and discovered SUP on the Great Lakes that the water close to home became part of my everyday life. I'm forever grateful for the gift of living on Lake Ontario. It's opened up a whole world of community and opportunities.
Based on our current society, would you say that SUP and surf communities/industries are places where everyone is welcomed, represented, and supported?
There is a lot of work to be done to make SUP and surf welcoming and accessible to everyone. The SUP and surf industries have a poor track record when it comes to representation. It's unfortunate because as an instructor, I've seen a wonderful diversity of people out on paddleboards. I would love to see this reflected in SUP and surf media and advertising. Also, the cost can be a major barrier. Both paddle boarding and surfing do not come cheap, especially in Canada where you need cold water gear to extend your season past the summer. When I first started out, I didn't have a car and I had limited funds, so I had to hustle to do what I loved, taking transit, borrowing gear, and buying second hand.
In your opinion, what are the most important steps to ensure the SUP and surf community is welcomed, represented, and supported?
I think the local SUP and surf community are doing a good job of being welcoming at a grassroots level. It's all about collaboration. With Lake Surfistas, we do our best to elevate and support current and aspiring women surfers and paddleboarders by getting out in the community, organizing free or low-cost events, sharing information and answering questions on our Facebook discussion page, and showcasing the community on our Instagram account. We also have a partnership in the works that will make gear more accessible to participants at our events (details to come!). Other local groups and businesses are doing great work too. For instance, Surf the Greats has been collaborating with Brown Girl Outdoor World on a number of surf and swim initiatives. As for the SUP and surf industry, it really is about diversifying their representation. Let's see people of colour, people over the age of thirty, people of different body types and abilities in their ads and on their social media. Also, instead of just selling a product, they should be supporting the communities they benefit from by providing local community groups with funding and gear. There are some companies that are starting to do this, and that's great.
Do you have anything else that you’d like to share about your work, your connection to water, or how we can encourage people to join the movement for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future?
Water is life and water is for everyone. One of the biggest issues for me is the privatization of the shoreline and the commodification of water. No one should have exclusive access to water or profit from a resource that should be free for all to enjoy and safely consume. I won't buy bottled water and I've boycotted all Nestlé products because of their awful track record. If water is accessible and clean, people will use it and it is through this interaction that they will develop a deeper understanding of how important it is to respect and preserve this natural resource.
Clif Family Foundation is proud to support hundreds of organizations that are working tirelessly to strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and protect the places we play by being stewards of our environment and natural resources. Their desire is to leave the world a better place for our children.
Breaking Water with Kevin Penny
This Breaking Water segment features Kevin Penny. Based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Kevin and his partner Dee Osmond document their explorations online through their social media platforms titled Accessible Adventures.
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Kevin Penny. Based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Kevin and his partner, Dee Osmond, document their explorations online through their social media platforms titled Accessible Adventures.
Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your personal connection to water?
My name is Kevin Penny, and I suffered a spinal cord injury in 1991. Prior to my injury, I was very athletic and enjoyed many sports. After my injury, there were fewer and fewer opportunities for me to enjoy sports other than as a spectator. In 2006, I was introduced to the sport of adaptive sailing and was immediately addicted. Being able to be on the water has given me a level of freedom. Utilizing assistive technology and an adaptive sailboat, I can sail the boat independently both leisurely and competitively.
Could you tell us about Accessible Adventures and what inspired you to share your stories online?
Accessible Adventurers is a social media platform started by my girlfriend and I in 2017. We decided to share our stories online as we thought we did some cool things around accessibility and adapting to our environment to ensure we could still enjoy outdoor activities together. After gaining momentum on our social media platforms, we found out that many individuals had similar situations and were always looking for accessible things to do within our community. This platform allowed us to share first-hand some of the fun things we can do despite my physical limitations.
As a leader in advocacy around the outdoors and accessibility, how would you describe our current societal situation when it comes to being inclusive in the environmental and outdoors community?
To be honest, we have come a long way since I sustained a spinal cord injury. Our community has become much more inclusive by supporting persons with disabilities within their environment and allowing them to participate in outdoor activities. For example, many beaches in our province are becoming more and more accessible with specialized mats, floating beach wheelchairs, and accessible amenities such as washrooms. There is still a long way to go, but we are on the right path!
In your opinion, what are the most important steps in achieving truly inclusive access to outdoor and environmental spaces?
Attitude is the biggest barrier when it comes to achieving truly inclusive access to outdoor and environmental spaces. It takes a strong will to change people’s attitudes that persons with disabilities deserve equal access to opportunities within our community. Once these attitudinal barriers are removed, change can happen, and our environment can become much more inclusive for everyone.
Do you have anything else that you’d like to share about accessibility adventures, disability awareness or how we can encourage people to join the movement for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future?
The only thing I would like to add is that as Accessible Adventurers, we love to highlight what is available to persons with disabilities in our community. This awareness allows individuals to make a choice whether they want to participate within our community and enjoy the outdoors to its fullest.
Clif Family Foundation is proud to support hundreds of organizations that are working tirelessly to strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and protect the places we play by being stewards of our environment and natural resources. Their desire is to leave the world a better place for our children.
Breaking Water with Adam Barrett
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Adam Barrett and is an ode to Pride Month and the Queer community.
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Adam Barrett and is an ode to Pride Month and the Queer community. We asked him five questions pertaining to water, connection and safe spaces:
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us where you work/what you do?
Hi! My name is Adam and I’m a community-engaged artist and live performance producer. Right now, I get to have the very cool job of being a full-time programmer for a large arts festival. It’s very fun.
Could you tell us about your personal connection to the water?
I’ve lived within walking distance of a lake or a river for my entire life. I think it’s impossible here in Ontario, where there’s water everywhere, not to feel connected to it.
Why is it important to know which beaches are safe and inclusive spaces?
For a long time, it’s mattered that we have exclusively queer spaces for the sake of protecting our physical safety, but there’s also richness in sharing geography with our ancestors. There’s power in knowing that these beaches and trails have felt like home to people like me for many years.
Hanlan’s Point, Toronto Island, Ontario
There’s a lot of queer history around Toronto Beaches. Hanlan's Point was the site of the first Pride picnic, and has been a safe space for many years; Cherry Beach to has a long and complicated history with the queer community-albeit one with less joy and more police brutality.
Cherry Beach, Toronto, Ontario
What kind of role do you believe safe and inclusive spaces have on the LGBTQ2+ community?
Recently, as Hanlan's has been physically eroded by wind and water (and maybe more than a little by climate change?) And as the lakefront neighbourhoods have seen development and population increase, there have been incidents that make it feel less safe. I wish this wasn’t so.
Do you have anything else that you’d like to share about your work, your connection to water, or how we can encourage LGBTQ2+ to join the movement for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future?
Water is life.
Listen to Indigenous women.