We are proud to be bringing the AquaHacking Challenge to Atlantic Canada for the first time!
Young tech entrepreneurs from across the region will be engaged to create innovative solutions to some of Atlantic Canada’s leading water issues.
Timeline
The AquaHacking Challenge in Atlantic Canada will Kick-off in February 2020 and run through to the Final in September 2020.
Water Issues

Algal Blooms and Eutrophication
How can we manage and prevent algal blooms before they occur? Water Issue Leader: Roxanne Mckinnon, ACAP St. John
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Sediment and Pesticide Runoff
How can we minimize the impacts of soil and pesticide runoff in our Aquatic ecosystems? Water Issue Leaders: Angela Banks & Mary Finch, PEI Watershed Alliance
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Treatment of Drinking water in rural and First Nations Communities
How can we develop tools to empower small rural and Indigenous communities to manage their drinking water supplies in a sustainable and culturally appropriate way? Water Issue leaders: Stephanie Gora, Centre for Water Resources Studies, Dalhousie University and Mike Chaulk, CBCL Limited
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Private Well Safety
How can we improve the safety of private well drinking water? Water Issue Leaders: Gavin Kennedy, Nova Scotia Department of Energy & Mines and Gordon Check, Nova Scotia Environment
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Microplastics from fishing gear
How can microplastics from fishing gear (threads, fragments) be prevented from entering aquatic environments and how can fishing gear be retrieved before furthering the problem of microplastic accumulation? Water Issue Leader: Ariel Smith, Coastal Action
See moreOn September 18th, the final ranking has been announced Live on the Atlantic Water Network Facebook’s page, here’s the ranking:
1st Place & public choice award winner: Clean Catch Baits
Based in: Halifax, NS
Issue: Microplastics from Fishing Gear
Proposed Solution: A 100% biodegradable, PVC-free soft-bait fishing lured
for recreational fishing, developed through a unique organic biopolymer solution.
2nd Place: Well Warriors
Based in: Halifax, NS – Fredericton, NB – St. John’s, NL
Issue: Private Well Safety
Proposed Solution: An online platform designed to make
the water testing experience for well owners easy and affordable.
3rd Place: WIDE
Based in: Fredericton, NB – Toronto, ON
Issue: Treatment of Drinking Water in Rural and Indigenous Communities
Proposed Solution: A containerized distillation water treatment system
that integrates off-the-shelf, existing technologies, to provide high quality trusted water
to small rural and Indigenous communities in an accessible, sustainable, and culturally appropriate way.
4th Place: ExTech MIP
Based in: St. John’s, NL
Issue: Private Well Safety
Proposed Solution: A novel technology for easy onsite sampling
of organic contaminants in well water using a field-deployable and inexpensive device.
5th Place: What the Well
Based in: Halifax, NS
Issue: Private Well Safety
Proposed Solution: A service to streamline the water analysis process
using test kits and cloud analysis to reduce known barriers and increase well testing.
SIP will provide instant water analysis and treatment consultation.
The Final Judges :
For more information, contact : aislin.livingstone@smu.ca
Advisory committee members
Dr. Amina Stoddart – Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University
Andrew Sinclair – Surface Water Quality Specialist, Nova Scotia Environment
Colleen McNeil – Analyst, Water and Ecosystems, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Dr. Linda Campbell – Professor and Senior Research Fellow, Environmental Science, Saint Mary’s University
Simon Mitchell – ice President, Resilient Habitats, WWF-Canada
Dr. Stephanie Gora – Assistant Professor, Lassonde School of Engineering, York University
Marc Skinner – Senior Associate, Marine Technical Leader, Stantec
National Financial Partners
Local Financial Partners & Supporters
Academic Partners
Contact us to become a partner!