TITLE: Watershed

Canada is a society shaped by water. We share our deepest connections to the land, its history and development through our waterways, natural and man-made. Our vast geography supports five major watersheds, each resolving to an ocean via a network of over 600 interconnected waterways.

This series begins a long-term exploration of Canada's marine environments, from above and below, to cultivate an appreciation for this invaluable community asset. It interprets how a confluence of ecological, industrial, and recreational factors have shaped and continue to inform each Canadian's relationship with our most critical resource - water.

This part of the series explores an area in Southern Ontario, where countless freshwater lakes, ponds, streams and creeks resolve to the great St. Lawrence River. This area hosts the first man-made underwater statue park in Canada. Located in Brockville, ON, the site was created in 2014 to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives to the river. It supports a thriving local diving community who introduce new divers to this incredible resource, acting as a jumping off point for exploring the regions many historical shipwrecks.

The introductory image of 'The Memorial Ring' statue sits at the centre of the marine park, where it pays respect to tragedy and reminds us of the importance this great river has played in shaping our shared history as Canadians.

AUTHOR: Grant Stirton (Canada)

Grant Stirton is a photo-based artist who lives near Ottawa, Canada. Specializing in marine environments, his passion for exploring the natural world is informed by his experience as a photojournalist and marine expedition guide. He explores themes related to the conservation of marine habitats, species at risk and water security, reflecting on the human impact and voicing a need for stewardship.

His practice is a synthesize of modern and historical process, as he works across digital and analog formats, producing hand-made platinum, silver and archival pigment prints.

Grant has received numerous awards and publications for his work in journalism and tv/film. He is a graduate of SPEOS Photographic Institute in Photojournalism, the University of Toronto in Management and is currently an artist in residence with the School of Photographic Arts Ottawa (SPAO).