A Bit About Us

SURGE was founded in the spring of 2021 when we saw there was a lack of focus from decision-makers and the public about how to address the impacts of climate change in Canada. There is so much wonderful work being done to mitigate climate change, but next to nothing being done to protect threatened communities that are already feeling its effects. 

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We didn't want to just be another awareness-raising group. Building awareness has been crucial to getting us to where we are now in our understanding and concern about climate change. Additionally, being the first oyster reef living breakwater in Canada means that education is a big part of what we do. However, at the end of the day, we want to be having tangible impacts on the water, the benefit of which are felt by communities and seen in ecosystems.

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We also didn't want to copy what was already being done and not coming up with enough results. There are sea walls, concrete breakwaters, dykes, and riprap armouring being built all over the world, and we desperately need these, but they will fail without more strategies. They are expensive to build and maintain, they are static structures, they destroy green shorelines, and often being built of concrete they are carbon intensive.

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So we looked to nature and abroad to see what was working and we discovered a wonderful nature-based solution that had been successful elsewhere like in Alabama and Bangladesh - oyster reefs as living breakwaters. 

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Since then, we have been working hard to build relationships and a coalition with stakeholders from every walk of life - researchers, First Nations, other non-profits, educators, engineers, and government officials at every level.