Susan Hodges Bryant

Born in Rochester, New York, and a graduate of the University of Toronto, Elmira’s Susan Bryant is an engaged activist on environmental and water issues and one of the founders of APT Environment (Assuring Protection for Tomorrow’s Environment), a citizen’s group in Elmira. APT was formed in 1989 to respond to problems with water and air quality related to the operations of Uniroyal Chemical (now Chemtura).

Since APT’s founding, Bryant has become a self-taught expert on water contamination issues, earning recognition here and beyond her community. She was a long-serving and respected member of the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee, which began in 1992 and she has served on several Region of Waterloo committees concerned with water. She is an executive member of GREN (Grand River Environmental Network) and a member of the Township of Woolwich volunteer environmental group.

Bryant has been a water guide for the REEP Green Solutions (Regional Energy Efficiency Project) “Well Aware” program, helping rural land owners maintain their wells and protect their water supply. She has been a speaker at numerous conferences related to water, receiving awards from the Grand River Conservation Authority, the Region of Waterloo, and the K-W Field Naturalists. In 2010, she was named an Honourary Fellow of Renison University College for her outstanding environmental work.

Professionally, Bryant worked for 26 years as a part-time lecturer in English at Renison and was a founding partner of WordsWork Associates, specializing in writer training for businesses.

Photography by Calla Studio.