The International Joint Commission (IJC) has been helping the Canada and the US prevent and resolve disputes over shared waters like the Great Lakes for over a century. This week, the IJC released a report that evaluates how these governments are doing at cleaning up and protecting the lakes. The […]
This fall, Freshwater Future Canada staff have been busy travelling to communities across the Great Lakes to learn about local threats to water quality and what we can do to help. We’ve been inspired by the creative solutions and hard work of community groups who are passionate about water. […]
For the past month, Freshwater Future staff members have been traveling around the Great Lakes to learn what water means to residents and what we all envision for the future. Living in the Great Lakes region, we are surrounded by lakes, rivers, wetlands, and shorelines. Yet daily there are threats to our waters. […]
Guest blog post by Anuja Kapoor Policy-makers face the facts about the at-risk integrity of one of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystems. This year marked the first national assessment of Canada’s abundant freshwater ecosystems in decades, encompassing 25 watersheds across Canada (and 167 sub-watersheds). The making of the assessment began […]
Monday, August 28 is the first ever #WeAreLakeErie Day on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For the event, Freshwater Future Canada, along with our friends Environmental Defence and the Canadian Freshwater Alliance, will create an online wave of support for Lake Erie. People can join in by sharing their personal stories about the lake—like this one—on social […]
When most people are just waking up for work, Todd Loop is already out on Lake Erie reeling in his first catch of the day. For the past 37 years, this has been a regular day for him. After graduating high school, Todd became a commercial fisherman and hasn’t looked […]
Have you heard the news yet? According to NOAA, we’re expecting to see a significant algae bloom on Lake Erie this summer. This is bad news for anyone who wants to use the lake for swimming, fishing, or boating as stinky mats of potentially harmful algae can severely limit enjoyment […]
Written collectively by Environmental Defence, Canadian Freshwater Alliance, and Freshwater Future Canada We are pleased to see the commitment from the federal and Ontario governments to address algal blooms in Lake Erie with a draft action plan. While this is a start, and we are encouraged to see there is […]
Nestlé Waters North America, Inc. (Nestlé Waters) is proposing to more than double the amount of water they are taking at their White Pine Springs Site in Evart, Michigan — an amount that could damage area wetlands and protected plant and animal species. In 2009, Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation […]
The International Joint Commission (IJC) recently approved Plan 2014 – great news for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, and for the organizations who have worked so hard over many years to make it happen. We’d like to give special mention to Save the River, one of our Great Lakes […]
Today, the Great Lakes Governors voted to allow the community of Waukesha, Wisconsin to divert water from Lake Michigan to supplement their water supply. Waukesha is the first municipality to be allowed to divert water under a provision of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (the Compact), […]
If you live within a stone’s throw of Lake Erie, you’ve likely heard about the algae blooms. Stinky green mats that have shut down drinking water for residents of Pelee Island and Toledo last summer, closed beaches, and are toxic to wildlife and humans alike. If you’re a busy […]
The Ontario government recently did something wonderful for the Great Lakes. They passed the Great Lakes Protection Act! Freshwater Future Canada is thrilled to see that the Great Lakes community finally achieved this hard won battle. The bill was first introduced back in 2012, but failed to make it […]
Yesterday, Freshwater Future Canada, Canadian Freshwater Alliance, and Environmental Defence hosted a media tour of Pelee Island in Lake Erie. This week marks the one year anniversary of major water shut offs of Pelee Island that left a majority of their residents without water due to a toxic algal bloom. […]