Fred Bonner advocates for safe drinking water and community health

By day, Bonner is a consultant, focused on environmental management, corporate social responsibility and community engagement. He’s also the co-founder and executive director of , a Nova Scotia-based non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about well water safety in marginalized, rural areas.��

“Many Nova Scotians face challenges protecting their water supply and water quality,” shares Bonner. Systemic barriers, he adds, make some communities particularly vulnerable.��

Without well testing, the risk of contaminants entering the water supply—including bacteria, nitrates and heavy metals — can become a health issue and risk for those who use or drink it.

Making connections

In 2015, when Bonner’s consultancy work found him organizing a conference about land reclamation, he began thinking about ways to integrate communities experiencing racism. He decided to attend a public talk by Dr. Ingrid Waldron, former Dal professor and creator of , discussing the relationship between race and the risk of exposure to pollutants.

Inspired, Bonner knew he wanted to meet with her. “When we met, she was initially annoyed,” he says. “She had [already] been in communities, working on legislation and policy and interviewing residents. How dare someone question all that she’s done?”��

Bonner knew that together, they could offer something more tangible.��

It wasn’t long before Dr. Waldron warmed up to Bonner’s suggestion that they combine forces, along with help from Dr. Wilber Menendez Sanchez (MMM’00, PhD’10), to help rural communities test their wells. “We went on to test wells in Lincolnville [a small African Nova Scotian community in Guysborough County, which had a landfill near by] and reported our findings back to the community.”��

In 2017, Rural Water Watch was born, combining education, action and a goal of eradicating well water challenges faced by rural Nova Scotians.��

“I’ve been invited into people’s homes, I’ve learned about their histories and struggles,” shares Bonner. “I’ve become an advocate for those who don’t always have a voice—it’s made me a better person.”��

Bonner adds that one of the program’s greatest opportunities is combating apathy. “Many people feel powerless to make change,” he says, whether by information illiteracy, lack of transportation, or perhaps feeling ignored by government systems. “We’re equipping rural Nova Scotians with the knowledge, skills, literacy and resources they need to address their well water concerns.”

Salt of the earth

Of Bonner’s many accomplishments, he says that his education — including a combined master’s degree in applied science and urban planning from Dal— has been one of his proudest.

“It’s opened many doors for me,” he shares.

Bonner adds that he lives by the motto, ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’. It’s a humility that drives his belief in the importance of listening more than speaking. “You have two ears and one mouth for a reason,” he says. “To listen first; to find out why someone may think or feel a certain way before responding.”

A goal, Bonner says, is to reach those ‘aha moments’ with homeowners. “When you can help them realize something they didn’t know before, that’s what I love. That’s what it’s all about.”��