Saturday, April 19, 2025
U.S. Bans Microbeads, Canada Could Follow
The U.S. has joined the battle against polyethylene microbeads by banning the use of the tiny plastic pellets commonly used as exfoliants in cosmetic care…
Great Lakes
Economic benefits of cleaning up a city’s waterfront
By Mario Carr A strong economy needs a healthy watershed. One municipality that understands this all too well is Hamilton, Ontario. Clean-up projects to reverse…
Ontario Environment Commissioner Recommends Full-Cost Water Pricing
Today, Ellen Schwartzel, acting environmental commissioner of Ontario, released the Commission’s Annual Report for 2014-2015 entitled, “Small Things Matter.” In it, the commissioner recommended that…
Lake Simcoe Protection Act A Success, New Report Shows
Today Ontario released a report that shows that the health of Lake Simcoe is improving. The five-year report is the results of the Ontario government’s decision…
Federal Party Platforms and Great Lakes Issues
In anticipation of the upcoming federal election, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative—a binational coalition of over 110 U.S. and Canadian mayors and local…
New Legislation Passed to Protect the Great Lakes
This week, the Ontario government passed the Great Lakes Protection Act which will strengthen the province’s ability to keep the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence…
WWF-Canada supports targets to reduce algae in Lake Erie
A statement released this week by 14 groups from Canada and the U.S., including World Wildlife Fund Canada, says that cutting phosphorous in Lake Erie…
Great Lakes Grants Available for Local Projects
Ontario is calling on community groups to apply for a Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund grant, in an effort to help protect, restore, and enhance…
York Region Pollution Control Plant Wins U.S. Award
The American Public Works Association will recognize upgrades to the Keswick Water Pollution Control plant in the Region of York as one of its 2014…
Curbing the Flow
Bordered by two countries, eight states, one province, and more than a hundred municipalities, the Great Lakes hold more than a fifth of the planet’s…
Ontario Helps IMAX Protect the Great Lakes
Ontario is investing in solutions in Peel Region to help protect Great Lakes water quality. IMAX Corporation is using new permeable pavement and stormwater treatment…
McGuinty Government Renews Provincial-Municipal Collaboration to Protect The Great Lakes
Ontario and mayors from communities surrounding the Great Lakes have renewed their shared commitment to protect the Great Lakes. This week, Jim Bradley, Minister of the…
Ontario Proposes Great Lakes Protection Act
The Ontario government has proposed a Great Lakes Protection Act, strategy, and support for local actions. Already, several groups have commented on the news. “Protecting…
Peninsula Harbour Sediment Capping Project Awarded to Milestone
Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. has been awarded the contract to complete the capping of historically contaminated sediment in the Peninsula Harbour, which is a Great…
Feds Invest in Great Lakes Clean-Up
Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent celebrated World Water Day at the Sherbourne Common in Toronto this morning, highlighting 46 projects that have received funding under…
Ontario Too Slow: ECO’s Annual Report
Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner is worried that Ontario has lost momentum when it comes to the province’s pressing environmental issues. In his 2010/2011 Annual Report, titled…
How-To Strategies
Canada’s water resources scientists and engineers generally agree that climate change will have an impact on our water; however, we have not incorporated climate change…
Finding Balance
When it comes to the Great Lakes, it’s all about balance. A recent United States Geological Survey five-year report on Great Lakes Basin water availability…
IJC Recommends Focus on Human Health Concerns for Great Lakes
The International Joint Commission provided 32 recommendations for action at the federal, state, provincial and local levels of government in its 15th biennial report, released…
Ontario’s Environmental Failures
The government is failing to follow through on all of its environmental promises, says Ontario Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller. “This government rightly prides itself on…
Great Lakes, Wasted
More than 580 billion litres of drinking water, the equivalent of 236,000 Olympic swimming pools, are being wasted every year by homeowners in the Great…
Toronto-Area Rivers High in PCBs: Study
A University of Toronto study of the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other chemicals in the rivers running into Lake Ontario reveals significantly higher…
Anishinabek Nation and Ontario Partner for Water
As of yesterday, the Anishinabek Nation and Ontario have agreed to continue to work together to strengthen collaboration on natural resource management. The Anishinabek Nation,…
EPA Releases Plan for Great Lakes
Over the weekend, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson released an action plan to guide the Obama Administration’s historic efforts to restore the…