Youth on Board: Gregary Ford of Swim Drink Fish

Meet Gregary Ford, the Director of Water Programs for Swim Drink Fish, and a BFP intern, who received the Young Professional Award at the Canadian Water Summit (June 1-3). 

Gregary’s role at Swim Drink Fish is supported by the Blue Futures Pathways program, through funding from Canada’s Ocean Supercluster.

For Gregary, personal connection to water is what drives him to work in  protection.

“If we can take a walk, if we can take a swim, if we can take a sample to make that difference, to let scientists know what’s happening so that they can be more proactive in how we address the climate crisis, then let’s do it,” he said in his award speech. “Let’s go for a walk on the beach together and let’s increase access to swimmable, fishable, drinkable water for everyone.”

In 2018, he helped launch the Niagara community-based Water Monitoring Hub. Gregary was also a lead on a Swim Drink Fish collaboration called the Great Lakes Community Monitoring Initiative, in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada. The initiative is a five-year program helping bring community science and education on recreational water quality to communities around the Great Lakes.

Gregary is also the Executive Director of the Niagara Coastal Community Collaboration.