Thursday, September 24, 2026
The Ontario government is investing $5 million to fund 119 projects to help municipalities, Indigenous communities, conservation authorities and local organizations protect Ontario’s lands, lakes and rivers from phragmites, one of the province’s most harmful invasive plants.
“Protecting Ontario’s natural environment means taking action now against invasive species like phragmites, before they can do more damage,” said Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources.
The Invasive Phragmites Control Fund, administered by the Invasive Species Centre and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, coordinates and supports phragmites prevention and control across Ontario. This year’s funding will support projects focused on mapping, monitoring and preventative activities.
The investment will support 119 local recipients, including:
- Niagara College, which will manage phragmites at its Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses.
- Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, which will map and manage phragmites across the watershed.
- Town of Pelham, which will treat environmentally sensitive stormwater management ponds to help control the spread of phragmites.
“Phragmites are one of the most damaging invasive plants in Ontario, threatening our wetlands, shorelines and the natural spaces that communities value,” said Dawn Gallagher Murphy, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources.
Featured image: (Government of Ontario)
