The Ontario government is investing more than $2.8 million in 24 projects to protect the health of the Great Lakes.
These projects focus on improving the health and habitats of fish and wildlife. The projects also focus on rehabilitating historically degraded areas by studying and restoring streams, wetlands, and aquatic habitats.
“Our government is proud to be delivering on our commitment to protect, conserve, and restore the Great Lakes,” said David Piccini, minister of the environment, conservation, and parks. “These 24 initiatives will not only have a positive impact on the water quality and ecosystem of the Great Lakes, but also on the well-being of the communities that rely on them now and for generations to come.”
Some of these projects include:
- $400,000 for the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to continue ongoing collaborative work to improve water quality, the health of aquatic organisms that live in the river and lakebed sediment, fish and aquatic habitats, and groundwater to restore the Toronto and Region Area of Concern.
- $111,250 for the University of Guelph to see if rapid fish tests can be used to predict the effects of municipal effluent on fish reproduction as part of protecting fish health.
- $45,572 for the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne to gather data on fish contaminants and help Akwesasronon in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities to fish.
- $75,000 to Niagara Parks Commission to conduct coastal wetland restoration projects to help restore fish habitat in a historically degraded area of the Niagara River.
“Nothing is more important than the health of our Great Lakes, and I am thankful that I have incredibly talented and committed partners who work alongside my ministry to protect them,” said Greg Rickford, minister of northern development, mines, natural resources, and forestry. “Through strategic partnerships like these, we are able to make real progress on restoring species and their critical habitats while combatting the spread of invasive species living in the Great Lakes basin.”
Funding is part of the Ontario government’s $10.9 million multi-year investment to support projects run by conservation authorities, environmental not-for-profits, universities, and Indigenous organizations across the province that are working to address commitments in the Canada-Ontario Great Lakes Agreement.
