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Canada invests $45M in Great Lakes Protection Initiative
December 4, 2017 By Ground Water Canada
Dec. 4, 2017, Toronto – On Dec. 1, the minister of environment and climate change, Catherine McKenna, announced Canada will invest $44.84 million for the Great Lakes Protection Initiative, which is part of the $70.5 million of new funding allocated for freshwater protection, in the 2017 budget.
The investment will further focus efforts on such issues as the continued implementation of the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health, the federal government said in a news release.
New programming will focus on reducing toxic and nuisance algae and strengthening the resilience of Great Lakes coastal wetlands. It will prioritize identifying at-risk nearshore waters, which are those most used by Canadians for drinking and recreation. It will target reducing the release of harmful chemicals. And, it will seek to strengthen engagement with Indigenous Peoples and the public in addressing Great Lakes issues.
The minister also convened a roundtable, moderated by the Council of the Great Lakes Region, to continue discusssing the future of the protection of the Great Lakes. Participants included representatives of Indigenous groups, the province of Ontario, municipalities, industry and environmental non-government organizations.
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