Dr. John Gunn
Nominating Agency: Nickel District Conservation Authority

John Gunn has had a distinguished career as a University Professor and Scientist who has spent over 25 years working at the forefront of freshwater and restoration ecology. Dr. Gunn has produced over 150 publications (including 53 journal papers) in the field of restoration ecology and has been a grant holder with Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada since 1992. In recognition of his expertise, John was recently appointed to the Premier’s Lake Simcoe Science Advisory Committee.

Dr. Gunn leads the Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit in Sudbury whose mandate is to collaborate with community groups and industry in order to ensure the long-term protection of water resources. The Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit operates one of the longest and most extensive monitoring programs in the world measuring the impacts of multiple stressors on freshwater ecosystems. Their findings have effected environmental clean-up efforts locally as well as contributing to national and even international efforts to ensure cleaner water.

Currently, Dr. Gunn is leading an effort to build a new research centre called the “Living With the Lakes Centre” at Laurentian University. The Centre will focus regional efforts in an attempt to protect and restore local watersheds. It is expected that these local achievements will provide a blueprint for similar undertakings globally.

John Gunn has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the Alumni Achievement Award (research and public education) from the University of Guelph and the President’s Award for Conservation from the American Fisheries Society. Dr. Gunn’s career has been built on the premise that protection and recovery of ecological resources is dependent upon a combination of good science and cooperation among citizens, industry and government at all levels.

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