Wheatley Harbour Restored

Wheatley Harbour, Ontario is once again a clean and healthy aquatic ecosystem, announced Dave Van Kesteren, MP for Chatham-Kent-Essex last week.

Wheatley Harbour was designated a Great Lakes Area of Concern in 1985 pursuant to the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The major environmental concerns were historical sources of PCBs, contaminated sediments, high phosphorus concentrations, poor water clarity, bacterial contamination, and habitat loss. Through federal and provincial action completed in 2008, conditions in Wheatley Harbour have improved considerably.

“This is a major milestone for the Great Lakes. Wheatley Harbour is the fourth Area of Concern to be removed from the list of Great Lakes environmental hotspots. Three of those are in Canada. As we celebrate our success we must remember that Great Lakes environmental protection is not a one time effort, it’s a lifetime effort. And we all need to continue to do our part to protect our Great Lakes,” said John Gerretsen, Ontario Minister of the Environment.

The restoration of water quality in Wheatley Harbour is part of the federal Great Lakes Action Plan.