Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
The network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada is a gateway to nature, history, and 450 000 km² of stories from coast to coast to coast. Investing in these locations helps support the protection of natural heritage and our rich history, increases climate resiliency and creates jobs in local communities, while providing visitors with high-quality, safe and meaningful experiences across the country.
Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, announced over $11.7 million to support the Ontario Land Trust Alliance to conserve wetlands, grasslands and forests that are currently under threat. Spanning much of the province, the projects will protect from conversion up to 6000 hectares. The projects will also restore another 300 hectares of habitat that supports 60 species at risk, including the Kirtland's Warbler. In addition to protecting species at risk and important ecosystems in people's neighbourhoods, these projects will help keep our air clean and fight climate change, by capturing and storing carbon.
Protecting fresh water is critically important to Canada's environmental, social, and economic well-being. One of the largest surface freshwater systems in the world, the Great Lakes help drive the local economy and provide drinking water for millions of Canadians. Today, Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced an investment of more than $3.9 million over three years in thirty-nine new projects in Ontario through the Great Lakes Protection Initiative, part of the Government of Canada's Freshwater Action Plan.
Canadians depend on nature for clean water to drink and air to breathe, food to eat, and quality spaces to enjoy the outdoors. Conserving nature is vital to protect species at risk, combat climate change, and build a strong, sustainable economy. Today, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Julie Dabrusin, attended a turtle release at the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault. At the event, she announced that the biosphere reserve is receiving more than $585,000 over three years from Canada's Enhanced Nature Legacy. These funds will support the biosphere reserve's biodiversity conservation efforts and support Canada's goal to conserve 25 percent of lands and inland waters by 2025, working toward 30 percent of each by 2030.
Heritage places reflect the rich and varied stories of Canada and provide an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about our diverse history. Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, and the Honourable Whitney Issik, Alberta Minister of Environment and Parks, announced the official endorsement of the nomination of the North Saskatchewan River as a Canadian Heritage River.
Today, René Arseneault, Member of Parliament for Madawaska—Restigouche, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Gary Crossman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation; and His Worship Ian Comeau, Mayor of the City of Campbellton, announced joint funding for upgrades to community water and wastewater infrastructure along Adam Street and Dufferin Street.
Saint Mary's University and Atlantic Water Network will lead a project to create an online community-based Water Monitoring Knowledge Hub that will provide up-to-date, centralized information on creating and maintaining freshwater monitoring programs. This project will focus on both priority ecosystems: the Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed and the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence watershed.
From addressing water quality to plastic pollution, the Government of Canada is working with Canadians across the country to keep water safe, clean and well-managed, now and for future generations. Today, Member of Parliament for Fredericton, Jenica Atwin, on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, announced $440,000 in funding for three new projects to directly address water-quality issues in the Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed. The funding comes from the Atlantic Ecosystems Initiatives, which aims to improve the health, productivity, and sustainability of priority ecosystems in Atlantic Canada.
Clean, fresh water is essential to the health, safety, and well-being of our communities. The Government of Canada is committed to finding nature-based solutions to keep water safe, clean, and well-managed for future generations. Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced close to $4 million in funding to support fifty-two new projects over the next four years under the EcoAction Community Funding Program.
The Great Lakes are essential to the health and well-being of millions of Canadians for safe water supply and the sustainability of our ecosystems. Protecting one of the largest surface freshwater systems in the world is vital, which is why the Government of Canada is collaborating with local partners to find the best ways to keep water safe, clean, and well-managed.
The Government of Canada is committed to developing Canada's marine transportation sector and creating good middle-class jobs, while recognizing that a strong economy and a clean environment must go hand in hand. Following a thorough and rigorous environmental assessment, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's (the Agency's) Environmental Assessment Report concluded that the Laurentia Project: Port of Quebec Deep-Water Wharf – Beauport Sector was likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects to fish and fish habitat, air quality and human health, socio-economic conditions, and the current use of lands and resources for traditional purposed by Indigenous peoples.
Following public uproar of the Alberta government quietly pulling the 1976 coal policy, opening up more areas of the province for coal mining, a Calgary committee has started work to find out how those changes could affect the city on the Bow and Elbow Rivers. “The good news is, we found out today that although there’s different (land use) categories, the main category of the national parks and everything for our river system in the Bow is not affected with this policy,” Ward 1 Coun. Ward Sutherland said. “Obviously we’re very pleased with that.”
The federal government seeks feedback on whether the objectives outlined in the Discussion Paper are the right objectives for the government to pursue and input on which objectives should be prioritized. Input is sought from provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, local authorities, the private sector, non-government organizations, and the public. Feedback will inform the federal government's next steps in implementing the CWA. The deadline for providing feedback on the Discussion Paper is March 1, 2021. Information about where to send responses is provided in the Discussion Paper. In January 2021, the federal government will host a virtual national freshwater policy forum. A series of regional forums will be held in February 2021 to provide further opportunities for Canadians to participate in consultations on the Discussion Paper.
