Canadian Government Invests $5.1 million of Great Lakes Clean-up Efforts

The Government of Canada recently announced $5.1 million in funding for 46 new projects to protect and restore the Great Lakes through the Great Lakes Protection Initiative in 2020–21.

The Great Lakes Protection Initiative supports projects that address key Great Lakes priorities such as restoring areas of concern, preventing toxic and nuisance algae, reducing releases of harmful chemicals, engaging Indigenous Peoples on Great Lakes issues, and increasing public engagement through citizen science.

Some of the projects include those listed below.

Project: Niagara River Remedial Action Plan Coordinator

Proponent: Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $140,000 over 2 years

Project description: This project will facilitate inter-agency collaboration, and stakeholder and Indigenous involvement to support the clean up of the Niagara River Area of Concern.

Project: Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan Governance

Proponent: Lower Trent Region Conservation Authority

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $190,000 over 2 years

Project description: This project will support activities to address water quality issues in the Bay of Quinte Area of Concern and advance work under the Bay of Quinte Phosphorus Management Plan.

Project: Detroit River Remedial Action Plan Governance

Proponent: Essex Region Conservation Authority

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $165,000 over 2 years

Project description: This project will support inter-agency collaboration, and stakeholder and Indigenous involvement to support the clean up of the Detroit River Area of Concern.

Project: Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan Governance

Proponent: Halton Region Conservation Authority

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $205,000 over 2 years

Project description: This project will facilitate inter-agency collaboration, and stakeholder and Indigenous involvement to support the clean up of the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern. It will coordinate actions to address issues such as the decline of wildlife populations, fish, bird and animal deformities, as well as beach closings.

Project: Toronto and Region Remedial Action Plan Governance

Proponent: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $290,000 over 2 years

Project description: This project will facilitate inter-agency collaboration, and stakeholder and Indigenous involvement to support the clean up of the Toronto and Region Area of Concern.

Project: Community Engagement of Aamjiwnaang First Nation in the Restoration of Beneficial Uses and Decision Making for the St. Clair and Detroit River Areas of Concern

Proponent: Aamjiwnaang First Nation

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $45,000 over 3 years

Project description: This project will support community engagement in decision making  on the status of phyto- and zooplankton populations, drinking water as well as fish and wildlife populations, habitat and restrictions on their consumption, in the St. Clair and Detroit River Areas of Concern.

Project: St. Lawrence River (Cornwall) Remedial Action Plan Governance

Proponent: St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $86,000 over 2 years

Project description: This project will facilitate interagency collaboration, and stakeholder and Indigenous engagement on the clean up of the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern, as well as advance work under the Cornwall Sediment Strategy.

Project: Community Engagement on the Assessment of Fish Consumption Restrictions

Proponent: Mohawk Council of Akwesasne

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $60,167 over 2 years

Project description: This project will engage Mohawks of Akwesasne community members in assessing restrictions on fish consumption in the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern.

Project: Soil Water Assessment Tool to Determine Best Management Practices in Wilton Creek and Hay Bay Watersheds

Proponent: The Governing Council of the University of Toronto

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $108,000 over 3 years

Project description: This project will develop a model to assess best management practices and determine which will be most effective in reducing phosphorus runoff, part of the Bay of Quinte Area of Concern remediation effort.

Project: St. Clair River Contaminated Sediment Management Develop Engineering Design

Proponent: St. Clair Region Conservation Authority

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $250,000 over 3 years

Project description: This project will engage local partners in the development of the detailed engineering design for addressing mercury contaminated sediment in three areas of the St. Clair River, part of the St. Clair River Area of Concern remediation effort.

Reducing releases of harmful chemicals

Project: Removing Sources of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Chemicals of Mutual Concern from the Great Lakes

Proponent: The Governing Council of the University of Toronto

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $99,918 over 2 years

Project description: This project aims to reduce Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and Long-chain Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (LC-PFCAs), designated as Chemicals of Mutual Concern under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, from entering the Great Lakes through consumer products. This project will identify consumer products containing these chemicals, estimate the amount of these chemicals that could enter the lakes through these products, and engage stakeholders on impacts.

Project: Feasibility Study of Granular Activated Carbon to Reduce Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid Emissions from Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

Proponent: The Governing Council of the University of Toronto

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $97,440 over 2 years

Project description: This project will assess the use of activated carbon in municipal wastewater treatment plants to prevent Perfluorooctanesulfonic and Perfluorooctanoic acids from entering the Great Lakes.

Project: Mitigating the Release of Long-chain Perfluorocarboxylic Acids in Leachates: Analysis, Removal, Fate and Transport

Proponent: York University

Great Lakes Protection Initiative funding: $91,450 over 2 years

Project description: This project will advance efforts to reduce the release of Long-chain Perfluorocarboxylic Acids in landfills.