East Toronto Technical Seminar - Transforming Rivers, Restoring Resilience

The PEO East Toronto Chapter invites you to our upcoming technical seminar focused on fluvial geomorphology, the science of river processes and forms, and the analysis of completed watercourse & flood corridor restorations across the GTA.

Technical Seminar: Transforming Rivers, Restoring Resilience

The presentation will be centered around the Don River realignment, one of the most visible examples of a much larger trend in the Greater Toronto Area, where dozens of watercourses and flood corridors are being re-imagined. The presentation will highlight how many channels are undergoing realignment and restoration, what drives these efforts, and what goes into the designs: from geomorphology and sediment regimes to carbon storage, flood resilience, habitat creation, and flood control.

This is a unique opportunity to see how communities across Ontario are developed and provide flood control measures, while also restoring and creating new habitats and wetlands. 

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
• Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Venue: Arts & Letters Club - 14 Elm St, Toronto, ON  M5G 1G7
• Networking: Light refreshments will be served during the session and breaks, providing an excellent opportunity to connect with peers and the speaker.

Registration Information:

• Fee: $10 (This fee is fully refunded upon your attendance at the seminar.)
• Registration is required.

Click on the 'SIGN UP' button above to register on Eventbrite.
Seats are limited, so we encourage you to register early to secure your spot!

Our Expert Speaker: Paul Villard, Ph.D., P.Geo., CAN-CISEC, EP, CERP 

For over thirty years, Dr. Villard has been involved in research related to geomorphology in fluvial, coastal and estuarian systems. His research has covered the fundamentals of sediment transport, bedforms and channel evolution, turbulence and hydrodynamics, field measurement techniques, urban impacts on rivers, and the evolution and habitat benefits of restored river systems. 

Dr. Villard has applied his knowledge of sediment transport, hydrodynamics and geomorphology to hundreds of projects in Ontario. He has also been involved in projects in Manitoba, Alberta, California, and the northeastern United States. Projects included sediment transport studies, geomorphic assessments, stream and shoreline restoration, erosion assessments for stormwater management and dewatering projects, hazard assessments, and site remediation. He is a member in good standing of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.