As a young professional just beginning her career in the water and wastewater industry, I have had the honour of being mentored by Barry Orr through our collaborative efforts on the Ryerson Flushability Lab. During my undergraduate studies at Ryerson University in Toronto, I worked as a research assistant to Barry in which he guided me through the flushability project. At the time, my roles and responsibilities included assessing package labelling for “Do not Flush” symbols and testing products to assess their disintegration performance in water.
Through the months, I became more invested in the project and much of that is due to Barry’s passion and dedication towards supporting government bodies in crafting legislation to include the appropriate definition of the word “flushable”. I recently had the pleasure of visiting City of London’s Greenway Wastewater Treatment Plant. Barry was kind enough to devote some of his time in taking me on a full tour through the plant in which I was able to learn, in depth, about a lot of the processes which I had learned about during my undergraduate studies but never quite seen in action.
I thank Barry for the work he does and the passion he has put into the Ryerson Flushability Lab. During my time at the plant, I found it quite evident that the issue with “flushable” consumer products affects not just one, but pretty much ALL of the processes at the plant. It seems the products cause issues pretty much from before they enter the plant, all the way until they exit the plant. It is disturbing to note that regulation on these products is lacking. I will continue to join and support the causes that aim to establish appropriate regulation on so-called “flushable” consumer products.
Anum K
Through my internship at Greenway Wastewater Treatment Plant as an Environmental Fieldwork Student, I was able to work alongside Barry throughout the summer of 2019. I worked on the Your Turn initiative to tackle the issue of Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) within city sewers. In addition, I worked on outreach for flushability which included producing videos, making brochures, as well as visiting the Children’s Museum, both LHSC hospitals and various schools. I was also given the opportunity to visit various restaurants throughout the city to ensure proper maintenance of these establishment’s grease control devices, to keep our sewer systems clean and maintained. Further, Barry gave me the opportunity to visit his Flushability Lab at Ryerson University, so we could see the research he is conducting on various products and their impact on sewer infrastructure.
Throughout my 4-month internship with Barry, I learned so much about wastewater and the importance of maintaining our sewers and ensuring that only the proper products are flushed down the toilet. Barry’s passion for the environment and environmental stewardship was very inspiring and taught me a lot about perseverance and hard work. Barry was an incredible mentor for me throughout my time with him, and gave me more learning opportunities than I could’ve ever imagined when I began working with him. Barry taught me so much about the environment, wastewater and the importance of speaking up for what you believe in. I’m so thankful I was able to work alongside such a dedicated environmentalist, and for all the opportunities that Barry made possible.
Brooke N
I met Barry working as a student at the Greenway Wastewater Treatment Plant in 2017. I had the pleasure of working with him on the Your Turn campaign to tackle issues surrounding fats, oil, and grease, as well as flushability testing with wipes to analyze their impacts on wastewater systems and the natural environment. It honestly opened my eyes to a new realm of environmental issues that I hadn’t considered before and he now had me hooked. It was fascinating (and still is) to see how passionate and dedicated Barry is to his work. He never fails to push the boundary and fight for public, private, and governmental awareness and involvement on flushability issues, sustainable waste disposal, and overall wastewater health. Barry consistently shows that there is always more that can be done. Saying he goes above and beyond is a bit of an understatement. He is an incredible mentor with a wealth of knowledge who truly leads by example. I’ve worked with great people who work hard for really good causes, but they don’t come close to Barry and the incredible work he has done (and continues to do)! I’m so thankful for the knowledge, advice, and experiences I’ve received because of Barry.
Craig M
I am writing to you to tell you what a fine person Barry Orr is. I first met Barry in the winter of 2013 when he came to speak to my “Water Quality” class, which is part of the Environmental Technology program at Fanshawe College. He spoke to us for a while and showed us videos communicating the importance of protecting our waterways and water sources and how we can each do our part; all of which was information I hadn’t been aware of previously. I then had the opportunity to work with Barry while I completed my co-op work term as part of my program for the City of London during the summer of 2013. While getting to know him better, I could see that Barry is a very passionate, very good person. Near the beginning of my work term, I helped him at the Children’s Water Festival by running a booth with my work partner where we showed the effects of oil entering our waterways and the issues it causes for wildlife and the water itself. Barry spoke to the kids about the importance of sorting our garbage and recyclables properly and was a hit with the kids. It was a great learning experience and very refreshing to see someone who cares so much about the topic of environmental conservation, and I think Barry being involved gave the kids the real information as to what happens when we don’t respect the environment as well as our city’s infrastructure. Throughout the rest of my time working for the City and frequently interacting with Barry, he taught me a lot about conservation efforts and how easy it is for each of us to have a positive impact on the environment, as well as helping to protect and maintain the city’s infrastructure; by doing something as simple as washing our cars on the grass instead of the driveway, and not flushing anything down the toilet that shouldn’t be there. He is the most passionate person I’ve ever met when it comes to protecting our natural environment and he has been very inspiring to me for my life and my future career. I think people could learn so much from him as he never stops working to do what is right. It doesn’t matter if he ends up doing un-paid overtime in order to resolve a problem or if he has to look into an environmental issue on the weekend. He is always dedicated to doing the right thing and has a lot of knowledge to share with the world. I hope that whoever reads this letter is willing to give Barry the opportunity to speak with them and learn as much as they can from him because he would be a great asset not only to students of all ages, but to any municipality, business, or organization. His hard work, dedication and honesty speak volumes about who he is as a person and I would welcome the chance to work with him again.
Tara M
During my time filling the student position of environmental field technician for the City of London I took part in many assignments all related to protecting our environment. Some examples being; benthic sampling, producing water quality reports, mosquito monitoring, children’s water festival, creating brochures and movies for automotive service stations and car wash best practices, and performing commercial site visits to determine compliance with watershed protection bylaws. My experience and educational growth during my time in this role was greatly enhanced and enriched due to the guidance and mentorship provided by Barry. He acted as a supervisor for me as well as a teacher as he offered much insightful advice and inspiration to think outside the box. He always made me feel involved, confident, respected, and part of the team. I thank Barry for adding so much value to my memorable work experience and leaving me feeling even more motivated to keep pursuing my vision of a cleaner and more harmonized relationship between people and the environment.
Jessica L