Six simulation gaming events took were organized throughout summer 2016. Three of these events were organized with the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) master’s program at McGill University in Montreal. For the first two McGill events, students were contacted via social media postings, posters throughout McGill campus and email. The events were open to any IWRM student who wanted to participate. Two other simulation gaming events took place in Canada’s Maritimes in association with local watershed organizations. The third event at McGill will take place within a classroom setting and will be part of the curriculum for the most recent cohort of IWRM masters students. The final event took place with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) in Ottawa, Ontario.
5.1 Stakeholder Identification
Prior to the events in the Canadian Maritimes the research team began an email campaign in order to identify key stakeholders in the targeted areas. Researchers began emailing watershed organizations, conservation agencies and other environmentally minded organizations in order to gain access to lists of stakeholders active in these communities.
Researchers first connected with the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance in Moncton which acted as an intermediary between researchers and stakeholders in the area. The PWA sent emails on behalf of the researchers to stakeholders in the area. Researchers then waited to be contacted by interested parties. The same methods were used for the event in Halifax with the Sackville River Association taking on the role of intermediary. After these initial emails were sent by the two organizations; researchers began personally communicating with stakeholders via email to gauge their interest in a potential simulation gaming event. Researchers then organized an appropriate time and place to hold the event with all interested participants.
For the first two student events, the simulation gaming events were open to any interested student requiring solely that students RSVP for a spot in the game. The final student event was part of the required curriculum for McGill University’s IWRM M.Sc. program.
The event with the RVCA was planned with the support of a member of the research team who was formerly employed by the RVCA. This allowed us to plan an event with a mix of RVCA employees as well as with several members of their board of directors.