Protecting the Great Lakes
Learn about Ontario’s plan to protect and restore the health of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin and create more opportunities for individuals and communities to get involved in local protection and restoration efforts.
The importance of the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes help make Ontario a great place to live. Whether you love to fish, swim, boat, camp, play on a sandy beach with your kids or walk along a shoreline trail, Ontario’s Great Lakes support an ecosystem that is unique in the world.
These beautiful lakes are an unparalleled treasure, holding one-fifth of all the surface fresh water on Earth.
Most Ontarians live within the watersheds of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system. We all benefit from the Great Lakes – their resources provide us with drinking water and energy, food and recreational opportunities. The Lakes also provide the province with numerous economic advantages.
The Great Lakes regional economy is the world’s 3rd largest. Almost 50% of Canada’s manufacturing along with 83% of Ontario’s power generation and 95% of Ontario’s agricultural lands depend on the Great lakes-St. Lawrence River basin.
The Lakes support a rich array of plants, animals and ecosystems and are the foundation for Ontario’s strength and success.
The Great Lakes are under stress
The health of the Great Lakes is under threat from a number of factors – increased levels of harmful pollutants such as excess road salt and plastic pollution, urban growth, managing nutrients, increasing harmful and nuisance algae, hardened shorelines and invasive species. Over the last 15 years, changes in the Great Lakes have revealed disruptions to the food chain.
Climate change is also challenging the ability of the Great Lakes to be resilient to the impacts that can arise from severe weather and changes in water levels and in the thaw-and-freeze cycle.
We must protect them and, where we find they are in decline, we must restore them to good health so they remain drinkable, swimmable and fishable.
Given the importance of the Great Lakes to our economy, quality of life and environment, in 2015 Ontario established the Great Lakes Protection Act, which provides flexible tools to protect and restore the Great Lakes.
Strengthening Great Lakes protection
Protecting and restoring the Great Lakes is part of Ontario’s plan to protect our air, land and water.
One of the ways we protect the Great Lakes is through the Great Lakes Protection Act, which:
- ensures we establish and maintain monitoring and reporting programs
- commits to establishing at least one target to reduce algal blooms (established in 2018)
- allows the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to establish targets to prevent the loss of wetlands
- improves consultation and engagement requirements and requires consideration of traditional ecological knowledge
- requires that we table comprehensive progress reports in the legislature every three years
- requires that we review Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy every six years
- creates more opportunities for Ontarians to become involved in the protection and restoration of the ecological health of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Basin
- improves the capacity of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin so it can be resilient to the impacts of climate change
Funding for Great Lakes projects
Since 2018, Ontario has invested $66.5 million in 552 projects to safeguard the Great Lakes. During that time, 31 environmental clean-up actions have taken place across 17 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes.
OIn 2023, Ontario is investing $6 million in multi-year funding in 30 new projects that will help restore the health of the Great Lakes. This investment supports Ontario’s commitments in the new Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health — a five-year agreement that sets out specific actions that the federal and provincial governments will take, together with Great Lakes partners, to restore, protect and conserve the water quality and ecosystem health of the Great Lakes. It also supports implementation of Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy.
These projects focus on science and on-the-ground work to address critical issues facing the world’s largest surface freshwater lake system such as:
- Adoption of agricultural best practices and green infrastructure
- Public awareness and education on the important role of water
- advancing climate change adaptation and resilience efforts
- Contaminants in fish for consumption
- Fish habitat, invasive species and delisting of Areas of Concern
- Plastics
- Road salt
- Stormwater and groundwater management, and shoreline rehabilitation
- Water quality and pollution
The projects are run by:
- Indigenous communities and organizations
- conservation authorities
- environmental not-for-profits and for profits
- universities and colleges
- municipalities
The following table features 30 projects receiving multi-year funding to deliver on Ontario’s commitments in the new Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health. Additional projects will be announced soon.
30 projects receiving $6 million in multi-year funding
Recipient | Municipality | Project description | Funding $ |
---|---|---|---|
Anishinabek Nation | Great Lakes basin-wide | This project will strengthen the ability of Anishinabek Nation’s member First Nations communities to actively engage and participate in opportunities to inform, guide and implement Great Lakes collaborative work. It also provides opportunities for Anishinabek Nation to share information generated from community-led initiatives in the Great Lakes Basin. | 310,000 |
Bay Area Restoration Council | Hamilton Harbour / Hamilton Centre | This group of projects will further restore the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern:
| 336,000 |
Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation | Peninsula Harbour, Jackfish Bay, Lake Superior north shore | For this project in the Lake Superior basin, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation will lead fish a consumption survey to provide important information for assessing fish consumption concerns in the Peninsula Harbour and Jackfish Bay Areas of Concern in Lake Superior. | 12,000 |
Boating Ontario Association | Communities across the Great Lakes basin | This project will undertake a survey of Boating Ontario Association members on their management of hazardous wastes and recyclable materials and deliver a campaign on the benefits of boating at a Clean Marine-rated facility. | 42,765 |
Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association | Southeast shores of Lake Huron, Eastern Georgian Bay/Huron-Bruce, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex | This group of projects engages a number of partners around the Lake Huron-Georgian Bay basin on activities to restore and protect 6 key tributaries. These projects will:
| 474,500 |
Caldwell First Nations | Thames River / Lake Erie area | This project will support actions under the Thames River (Deshkan Ziibi) Shared Waters Approach by delivering a tailored youth stewardship program for the Caldwell First Nation. This program will enhance awareness of Indigenous cultures, histories, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and science-based understanding of the Thames River and Lake Erie. | 25,000 |
Chiefs of Ontario | First Nation communities across the Great Lakes basin | This project will increase engagement of First Nations in Great Lakes discussions and implementation of the 2021 Canada-Ontario Agreement (COA) through annual meetings between First Nations and the COA Executive Committee Co-Chairs. It will also provide opportunities for First Nations to collaborate and contribute ideas to support Great Lakes policy and program development. | 110,440 |
Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation | Thames River / Lake Erie area | This project will support the Thames River (Deshkan Ziibi) Shared Waters Approach by delivering a youth stewardship program for the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. It will enhance awareness of Indigenous cultures, histories, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and science-based understanding of the Thames River and Lake Erie. | 25,000 |
Chippewas of the Thames FN | Thames River / Lake Erie area | This project will support the Thames River (Deshkan Ziibi) Shared Waters Approach by delivering a youth stewardship program for the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation. The program will enhance awareness of Indigenous cultures, histories, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and science-based understanding of the Thames River and Lake Erie. | 25,000 |
Fort William First Nation | Thunder Bay / Lake Superior north shore | For this project, Fort William First Nation will lead a fish consumption survey to provide important information for assessing fish consumption concerns in the Thunder Bay Area of Concern in Lake Superior. | 13,500 |
Governing Council of the University of Toronto | Toronto (Science and research across the Great Lakes basin) | This group of projects will:
| 610,416 |
ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) - Local Governments for Sustainability (Management) Inc | Municipalities and communities across the Great Lakes basin | This group of projects advance climate change adaptation and resilience efforts and will:
| 1,077,080 |
Lower Trent Region Conservation Authority | Bay of Quinte; Northumberland—Peterborough South; Hastings—Lennox and Addington | This project will implement a landowner stewardship program to help reduce excess nutrients from agricultural and urban sources to improve water quality and help restore the Bay of Quinte. | 65,000 |
McMaster University | Hamilton (Science and research across the Great Lakes Basin) | This project will improve the detection and identification of harmful algal bloom events in the Great Lakes and associated watershed sites. This will be done through the use of specific methods that measure potential toxin production and identify the types of cyanobacteria responsible for toxic blooms in Ontario. | 195,000 |
Métis Nation of Ontario | Great Lakes – basin wide | This project will support active and collaborative participation of Métis communities in the design, development and implementation of Great Lakes protection and restoration efforts, and in policy and decision-making processes. This initiative will support the delivery of commitments in the 2021 Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes and Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy. | 360,000 |
Munsee-Delaware Nation | Thames River / Lake Erie area | This project will support actions under the Thames River (Deshkan Ziibi) Shared Waters Approach by delivering a tailored youth stewardship program for the Delaware Nation to enhance awareness of Indigenous cultures, histories, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and science-based understanding of the Thames River and Lake Erie. | 25,000 |
Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative (Niagara Coastal) | Niagara region / Niagara Falls; Niagara West; Niagara Centre; St. Catharines | This project will expand a web platform that engages coastal citizens, community groups and local organizations in collecting data to fill knowledge gaps for Great Lakes shorelines – to the Niagara River Area of Concern. | 76,805 |
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority | Niagara River; Lyons Creek East / Welland | This group of projects will:
| 425,600 |
Oneida Nation of the Thames | Thames River / Lake Erie area | This project will support the Thames River (Deshkan Ziibi) Shared Waters Approach by delivering a youth stewardship program for the Oneida Nation of the Thames to enhance awareness of Indigenous cultures, histories, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and science-based understanding of the Thames River and Lake Erie. | 25,000 |
Raisin Region Conservation Authority | Communities along the St. Lawrence River/ Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes | This project will develop and implement an agricultural land stewardship program and facilitate an outreach and education program to improve water quality within the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern. | 140,000 |
Pays Plat First Nation | Jackfish Bay/ Lake Superior north shore | For this project, Pays Plat First Nation will lead a fish consumption survey to provide important information for assessing fish consumption concerns in the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern in Lake Superior. | 12,000 |
Quinte Conservation Association | Bay of Quinte; Northumberland—Peterborough South; Hastings—Lennox and Addington | These projects will focus on reducing nuisance algae and managing phosphorus in the Bay of Quinte Area of Concern as well as monitoring and maintaining the area's water quality, fish and wildlife habitat while identifying emerging threats such as invasive species and climate change. | 162,791 |
Red Rock Indian Band | Jackfish Bay—Lake Superior north shore | For this project in the Lake Superior basin, Red Rock Indian Band will lead a fish consumption survey to provide important information for assessing fish consumption concerns in the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern in Lake Superior. | 12,000 |
Red Sky Métis Independent Nation | Thunder Bay, Peninsula Harbour, Jackfish Bay – Lake Superior north shore Thunder Bay / Kiwetinoong | In the Lake Superior basin, Red Sky Métis Independent Nation will lead fish a consumption survey to provide important information for assessing fish consumption concerns in the Thunder Bay, Peninsula Harbour and Jackfish Bay Areas of Concern in Lake Superior. | 15,975 |
Severn Sound Environmental Association | Severn Sound / Simcoe North | This group of projects will:
| 145,000 |
St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences | Cornwall, Bay of Quinte and communities along the St. Lawrence River / Bay of Quinte; Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes | This group of projects will:
| 402,187 |
University of Guelph | Guelph (Science and research across the Great Lakes basin) | This group of projects will:
| 365,200 |
University of Waterloo | Waterloo (Science and research across the Great Lakes Basin) | This group of projects will:
| 321,250 |
University of Windsor | Windsor (Western Lake Ontario nutrient research and science) / Windsor West Windsor—Tecumseh | This project will improve knowledge of the land-to-lake connection at well-established nutrient monitoring stations entering the western basin of Lake Ontario. The project will use advanced genetic methods to provide insight into dominant bacteria species entering the lake, and linkage to nutrient levels and sources. | 199,200 |
Walpole Island First Nations | Thames River / Lake Erie area | This project will support the Thames River (Deshkan Ziibi) Shared Waters Approach by delivering a youth stewardship program for the Chippewas of Kettle and Walpole Island First Nations. It will enhance awareness of Indigenous cultures, histories, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and science-based understanding of the Thames River and Lake Erie. | 25,000 |
Great Lakes Local Action Fund
Our Great Lakes Local Action Fund is supporting community projects that protect and restore coastal, shoreline and nearshore areas of the Great Lakes.
The second round of the Great Lakes Local Action Fund invested nearly $1.8 million in 36 projects to protect and improve the health of the Great Lakes and their connecting rivers, which have social and/or economic benefits to local communities.
Learn more about the Great Lakes Local Action Fund.
Setting clear targets
One clear way to strengthen protection of the Great Lakes is by setting targets. The Great Lakes Protection Act allows the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, in consultation with other Great Lakes ministers, communities and stakeholders, to set specific or general targets for local and lake-wide areas.
We have a goal to reduce phosphorus loadings to the western and central basins of Lake Erie by 40% by 2025 – a target set under Ontario's Great Lakes Protection Act to address algal blooms. The Canada-Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan serves as Ontario’s plan to achieve this target.
The Act will also provide the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry with authority to establish one or more targets for preventing the loss of wetlands.
The ability to set clear targets could help all partners work towards common restoration and protection outcomes. Setting targets will also help Ontario to manage the cumulative impacts of activities on the Great Lakes, including climate change, and respond to specific areas when needed.
Geographically-focused initiatives
The Act enables geographically-focused initiatives, or GFIs, as a tool for developing and implementing policies to address priority issues in a specific location.
Initiatives will be developed through a collaborative local process, and will build on existing work. Some of the activities associated with protecting the Great Lakes that could be addressed with GFIs could include:
- protecting natural heritage or hydrologic features
- coordinated efforts to improve beaches
- efforts to reduce excessive algae
Based on local input, geographically-focused initiatives could be developed by a municipality, conservation authority or the province.
In addition, developing these GFIs would require engagement with First Nations and Métis communities within the area, municipalities, the scientific community, environmental organizations, farming organizations, conservation authorities, and industrial, recreational and tourism sectors.
Great Lakes Guardians' Council
The Great Lakes Guardians’ Council was established by the Great Lakes Protection Act as a forum where Great Lakes Ministers, partners and stakeholders can talk about the environmental, economic and social importance of the lakes. Learn more about the Great Lakes Guardians’ Council and what was discussed during council meetings.
Strengthening reporting and monitoring
The Great Lakes Protection Act requires public progress reports on the Great Lakes every three years, with reports tabled in the Legislature. These reports would include results of monitoring programs, actions taken and a description of new and emerging issues. In addition, the act will also ensure that monitoring and reporting programs are established and maintained.
Related
- Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy: Second Progress Report
- Bill
- 12-point plan on blue green algal blooms
- Our plan to protect our air, land and water
- Summary of the Canada-Ontario Great Lakes agreement
- Canada-Ontario Great Lakes agreement
- Guide to Eating Ontario Fish
- Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy
- Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy 2016 Progress Report