Canadians living in the Great Lakes watershed depend on freshwater ecosystems for their daily drinking water, health, public safety, and the economy. However, historic industrial pollution has compromised many of the ecosystems that they know and love: the Detroit River, the St. Clair River, and the Great Lakes.
Today, Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for Windsor-Tecumseh, and Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced one of the largest single investments in freshwater restoration in Canadian history: $76 million to support 50 partner-led projects as part of the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative.
This investment will empower local community water protection groups to reverse the degradations from historic pollution and restore these waters for the benefit of future generations. This announcement is part of the unprecedented level of investment being made by the government of Canada to clean freshwater systems, namely the $420 million over 10 years to protect and restore the Great Lakes through the Freshwater Action Plan.
This investment is targeted toward improving water quality and ecosystem health in Areas of Concern, which are areas most impacted by historical industrial pollution, so that wildlife can once again flourish. Additionally, the investment will help prevent toxic and nuisance algae in Lake Erie, reduce the release of harmful chemicals, restore coastal areas, and support community-based science projects.
Among the projects funded:
- The Essex Region Conservation Authority will lead a project to restore and protect vital wetland habitats in the Detroit River Area of Concern, the largest and best quality wetland complex and re-create a historic open-water wetland at the south end of Fighting Island.
- Thirteen new projects will tackle harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie by reducing phosphorus loads; this is led in part by the University of Windsor, the Essex Region Conservation Authority, and Flowers Canada Growers, including the advancement of innovative technology to remove and recover phosphorus from surface water in the Leamington/Kingsville area.
- Another project, by the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, will implement best management practices in the Thames River watershed to reduce phosphorus loads from reaching Lake Erie.
These investments will contribute to the ongoing collaboration with Ontario and the United States in protecting and restoring Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health. Significant developments, such as the reduction in persistent toxic substances, and the return of native species, including the Bald Eagle and Lake Trout, were made possible through this collaborative approach.
The newly launched Canada Water Agency is leading the delivery of the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative and the larger Freshwater Action Plan. The Canada Water Agency's mandate is to provide leadership and effective federal collaboration, as well as improved coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples to proactively address freshwater challenges and opportunities.
