Ontario’s first Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup announced

Owen Sound is making environmental history as one of six communities selected to host Ontario’s first-ever Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup. The City has partnered with the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative for this groundbreaking event, made possible by an $85,000 grant from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks through Ontario’s Great Lakes Local Action Fund.

This World Rivers Day, September 28th, Owen Sound will join partner cities Thunder Bay, Chatham-Kent, Collingwood, Cobourg, and Kingston in mobilizing more than 250 volunteers across the province to collect up to 200 kilograms of litter from beaches, parks, and shoreline areas along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

The City of Owen Sound will work with volunteers from Summerfolk to provide supplies and train volunteers for this historic conservation effort that spans Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.

It is estimated that 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes each year, threatening a source of drinking water for more than 40 million Canadians and Americans. Owen Sound’s participation in these shoreline cleanups helps reduce pollution at the source while raising awareness about the impact of waste and litter in our lakes and rivers.

In addition to the Government of Ontario’s generous support, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative recognizes the financial and in-kind support provided by Owen Sound and other participating municipalities, along with Greenland Consulting Engineers.