New Canada Ontario Agreement

“The Great Lakes are an invaluable resource for millions of Canadians and are home to more than one-fifth of the world`s surface freshwater. Today`s new agreement, which marks 50 years of the Canada-Ontario Great Lakes Agreement, is an important step towards creating a cleaner, healthier future. I am pleased with this crucial commitment between our two governments to continue to protect and restore the Great Lakes for future generations,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “The previous agreement between Canada and Ontario has allowed my ministry to do important work, such as restoring more than 2,400 hectares of habitat and rehabilitating nearly 32 km of tributaries in the ecosystems of the Great Lakes basin. With this new agreement, my ministry is committed to preventing and managing aquatic invasive species to conserve our native species and habitats,” said John Yakabuski, Ontario`s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, in a statement. The Great Lakes have responded well to previous conservation efforts. The commitments made by Ontario and Canada in the agreement recognize the importance of collective action and strengthening our work to protect and restore the Great Lakes. The Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health is the federal-provincial agreement that supports the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. The agreement sets out how the governments of Canada and Ontario will work together and coordinate their efforts to restore, protect and preserve the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. This is the means by which Canadian federal agencies interact with Ontario`s provincial ministries to meet Canada`s obligations under the Canada-U.S.

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLTA). The Environmental Registry of Ontario received more than 1,400 comments on the proposed new agreement between July 5, 2019 and September 4, 2019. Many Canadians, including here on Manitoulin Island, depend on the Great Lakes as a source of drinking water and food. Nearly 60 per cent of Ontarians depend on the Great Lakes for safe drinking water. They also offer a variety of healthy leisure opportunities such as boating and swimming. The Great Lakes ecosystem is threatened by wastewater discharges, high phosphorus and nutrient loadings, increased development, microplastics, pollution and other pollutants, invasive species and the effects of climate change. This is the ninth agreement between the two governments and marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the first Canada-Ontario agreement in 1971. The agreement includes a renewed commitment to carry out environmental remediation efforts with a focus on six historically degraded areas, the preservation of important habitats around the Great Lakes, and the continued restoration of Lake Erie.

It also focuses on protecting Lake Ontario, supporting nature-based recreational opportunities, and strengthening First Nations and Métis engagement in implementing the agreement. Canada and Ontario have negotiated a draft for the 2020 COA. The proposed treaty contains commitments on the following priorities: The COA is an agreement between Ontario and federal ministries to “restore, protect and preserve Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health” (COA, Article II). The COA offers a 5-year work plan on how Canada and Ontario will work together to restore and protect the Great Lakes. It also describes how they will implement the provisions of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States. The 2014 CERTIFICATE of Authenticity expires in December 2019. . The Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) allows the Cities Initiative to work with several Ontario ministries to achieve the objectives of the Great Lakes Canada-Ontario Agreement on Water Quality and Ecosystem Health (COA). . The governments of Canada and Ontario have negotiated a draft Agreement between Canada and Ontario on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health (COA), 2020. Ontario invests approximately $14 million annually in Great Lakes conservation and restoration efforts, including projects that support commitments under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health and the Great Lakes Strategy. Today, the governments of Canada and Ontario announced that they have signed the new Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health, which sets out specific actions each government will take to protect and restore the Great Lakes, such as .B prevent toxic and nuisance algae, improve wastewater and rainwater management, reduce plastic pollution and excess road salt.

Restore native species and habitats and increase resilience to climate change. . Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Ernie Hardeman added, “As an essential shared resource, protecting them (the Great Lakes) is also a shared responsibility. That`s why Ontario is supporting sustainable farming practices that improve soil health, improve water quality and build resilience to climate change. “Canada and Ontario have a long history of working together to protect and restore the Great Lakes, and we have seen tremendous improvements in these vital waterways,” said the Honourable Jeff Yurek, Ontario Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks. “The health of the Great Lakes is important not only to our natural environment, but also to the local economy and the communities that depend on it every day. We look forward to continuing to work with all of our partners to protect the world`s largest system of freshwater lakes now and for generations to come.” TORONTO – The Great Lakes are a valuable resource that is essential to the health and well-being of millions of Canadians. Canada and Ontario are committed to working closely and continuously with their partners to protect and restore the Great Lakes.

. Through the Great Lakes Protection Initiative announced in 2017, Canada is investing $44.84 million in science and action to address the ecological challenges of the lakes. Canadian federal programs such as the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Chemicals Management Plan and the Nature Fund also contribute to the protection of Canada`s freshwater, including the Great Lakes. .