The Geoffrey F. Bruce Fellowships in Environment and Canadian Freshwater Policy were established in honour of Erika v.C. Bruce’s late husband, recognizing his dedication to environmental conservation and water resource management in Canada and globally. Since its establishment in 2017, 14 master’s and PhD students and one postdoctoral fellow have received funding to support their research projects on various topics related to freshwater policy in Canada. This year, Tanjot Grewal and Wyatt Weatherson are the 2024 – 2025 Bruce Fellowship recipients.
Tanjot Grewal
Currently a master’s student in the Public Policy and Administration program (MPPA) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), Grewal is passionate about using her strong science and interdisciplinary background to improve freshwater policy in Canada. Grewal holds a Master of Applied Science in Environmental Applied Sciences and Management from TMU and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Chemical Biology from McMaster University. She also completed a co-op placement at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters focused on Canada’s chemical regulations and contaminants of emerging Concern.
Grewal, a water leader since 2015, founded the Youth Water Advocate Initiative (external link) to empower youth and newcomers in environmental conservation. She has raised nearly $10K for mentorship and stewardship programs. Her work and partnerships with Credit Valley Conservation Authority, Water for the World, Swim Drink Fish, and Ecosource, were recognized by the David Suzuki Foundation and others.
After completing courses in environmental policy, water policy, and writing a policy analysis paper on toxic substance regulations in the European Union, Grewal determined that her goal was to further enhance her understanding of water policy by enrolling in the MPPA program at TMU.
During her master’s research, Grewal will focus on Ontario’s water policy framework related to persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) substances and the need to modernize federal and provincial policies from new scientific evidence. Her objective is to analyze policies and develop recommendations concerning water policies and regulations in Ontario and Canada. She also aims to deepen her knowledge of water policy through a co-op placement as part of her MPPA studies. The Bruce Fellowship provides Grewal with the support necessary to enhance the scope and policy impact of her research.
Wyatt Weatherson
Weatherson is in his first year of the interdisciplinary PhD program in Environmental Applied Science and Management at TMU, where he also earned his master’s degree in the same field. He completed his undergraduate studies in the Department of Geography, Geomatics, and the Environment at the University of Toronto.
Weatherson’s master’s research focused on quantifying exceedances of federal chloride water quality guidelines in streams across Hamilton Ontario, to understand the risks associated with the winter use of chloride-based deicers (road salts).
His work contributes to a growing body of scientific evidence showing that road salts lead to the salinization of rivers, wetlands, lakes, and groundwater, causing levels that regularly surpass Canadian federal water quality guidelines, even months after the winter road salting season ends. Weatherson’s research underscores the need for policy analysis, innovation, and action to address the issue of excessive road salt application. He has published his research in the Journal of Great Lakes Research and ACS ES&T Water, produced three technical policy reports, and presented at several national environment and water conferences.
Weatherson’s doctoral research examines innovative policy tools to address water pollution from road salt, focusing on limited liability legislation. He is examining the success of such legislation in New Hampshire, adopted in 2013. His Bruce Fellowship will allow him to conduct a comparative policy analysis of Ontario’s and New Hampshire’s policies and offer recommendations related to developing and implementing limited liability laws in Ontario and across Canada for winter road maintenance operators.
