Ontario Funding Project in Lambton Shores to Restore the Great Lakes

Province investing $6.1 million in projects to improve water quality and support local community action

NEWS

September 20, 2024

SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO — The Ontario government is providing $6.1 million in multi-year funding to support 23 new projects that will engage communities, youth and local organizations across the province in restoring and protecting the Great Lakes, including a project in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex with the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, and a project with The University of Western Ontario.

“As the world’s largest surface freshwater lake system, it’s important that government and partner organizations work together to protect the Great Lakes – that’s what our Great Lakes Program is all about,” said Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “By investing in community-led initiatives like beach clean-ups and conservation projects, not only are we improving water quality, we’re creating ripple effects that contribute to the health of the entire Great Lakes Basin.”

Twenty-three organizations, including community groups, conservation authorities, universities, Indigenous organizations, and communities across the province have received funding for their projects to support commitments in the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health and Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy.

Great Lakes projects in Southwestern Ontario include:

• Working with St. Clair Region Conservation Authority to implement actions to restore the St. Clair River Area of Concern and respond to challenges for the Lambton Shores community by tackling local issues like phragmite removal, beach clean-ups and soil erosion control to improve water quality.
• Working with University of Western Ontario to identify key areas where road salt is discharging into the western Lake Ontario basin from groundwater. The study will provide decision makers with knowledge about how land use, climate change and other factors affect the amount of road salt entering Lake Ontario from groundwater. This knowledge can help evaluate the impacts of human activities and climate change on water quality and identify areas around Lake Ontario and other Great Lakes that are at risk of having high levels of chloride and other pollutants coming from groundwater. This work complements other salt research underway by adding value and insights on how direct groundwater discharge influences nearshore lake water quality and trends. 

“The health of the St. Clair River is important to our community, and this funding will support essential work to restore and protect it. By addressing issues like phragmite removal and beach clean-ups, these efforts will not only improve water quality but also contribute to the long-term sustainability of the Great Lakes.” – Steve Pinsonneault, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex

“The SCRCA is thankful for the funding commitment from the Province of Ontario and its dedication to the long-term restoration of the waters in the St. Clair River Area of Concern (AOC) and Lake Huron. The grant from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks is critical for the continued progress, and eventual delisting, of the St. Clair River as an AOC and addressing water quality issues in the Lake Huron Southeast Shore Area that has been identified as a domestic priority under the Lake Huron Bi-national Partnership.” – Ken Philips, Manager of Saint Clair Region Conservation Authority.

Great Lakes Program funding is part of the Ontario government’s $14 million in annual investments to further protect, conserve and restore the health of the Great Lakes.

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario’s Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River shoreline is the longest freshwater coastline in the world measuring 10,000 kilometres, which is almost equivalent to travelling one quarter of the way around the world.
• Ninety-nine per cent of Ontarians live in the Great Lakes Basin.
• Working with the Great Lakes community partners, our government is making progress on actions included in Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy, such as:
  • restoring 14 Areas of Concern around the Great Lakes
  • restoring and enhancing over 9,100 acres of wetlands across Ontario through about 560 projects with $31 million in funding under the Wetlands Conservation Partner Program 
  • expanding the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail so it now stretches over 3,600 kilometres and connects 170 communities, villages and First Nation communities.
• Since 2018, the Ontario government has invested $73.1 million in approximately 600 projects to safeguard the Great Lakes. During that time, 42 environmental clean-up actions have taken place across 17 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Learn more about the Great Lakes and its watersheds
• Learn how the government is Protecting the Great Lakes

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