Deborah Martin-Downs

Deborah Martin-Downs is a Canadian aquatic biologist who specializes in fish and their environments. She has worked in ecology and conservation for over 30 years in Toronto both as a consultant and as director of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). She is currently retired.

Education Martin-Downs grew up in Canada and became interested in environmental issues while in high school. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and environmental studies at the University of Waterloo in 1979. She returned to school and in 1984 earned a master's degree in zoology at the University of Toronto.

Career She worked as an environmental consultant, first as an assistant aquatic biologist with Ecoplans and then as a part of the Toronto Area Watershed Management Strategy (TAWMS) until 1982, when she received a scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. During her tenure at the TRCA, Martin-Downs continued conservation efforts of the Don River, and worked with other governmental agencies to improve performance in "water and air quality, carbon emissions, waste diversion, land use and biodiversity".

In August 2013, Martin-Downs became the Chief Administrative Officer of the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, where she is working on a conservation development project for the border between Etobicoke and Mississauga as part of the Lakeview Waterfront Connection Project. She retired from Credit Valley Conservation at December 31, 2021 as Chief Administrative Officer.

Martin-Downs became a director at Muskoka Lakes Association in 2015, serving as president from 2020 to 2022. Her current position at Muskoka Lakes Association is Chair of the Environment Committee and a member in Government & land use committee.

Martin-Downs is also a member of Ontario's Greenbelt Council since April 2018.

In January 2018, Martin-Downs became the Director of the Walkerton Clean Water Centre.

Selected publications