This week, I took advantage of a break in the severe cold by walking down to Toronto’s Lake Ontario shore. I could stare at the beautiful ice formations for hours but I was in for an ugly surprise—bits of plastic scattered across the beach. There were straws, coffee cups, single-use […]
Small actions can make a big difference! At Freshwater Future Canada, we help thousands of communities around the Great Lakes protect their local waters so that, together, we can protect the whole of the Great Lakes. Individual actions are powerful, too! Here are five little things with big impact that you […]
Last month, the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change released a report that evaluates how well its programs are doing at protecting drinking water, including the Great Lakes. While most Ontarians enjoy access to safe and reliable drinking water—99.8 percent of municipal drinking water tests are meeting the standards—there […]
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. […]
GLRI-type process proposed to Environment and Climate Change Minister Ottawa, ON November 22, 2017—Today, mayors, businesses, and NGOs gathered in Ottawa to call for a collaborative process to amplify and accelerate Great Lakes and St. Lawrence protection and restoration, at their second annual Parliament Hill Days. The Great Lakes and […]
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. […]
An algae bloom descends on Canadian Lake Erie beaches If you’ve visited a beach along the western Canadian shores of Lake Erie lately, you may have noticed that the water is green, slimy and smelly. What’s the cause? Blue-green algae. In recent weeks, a toxic algae bloom has extended across […]
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 […]
Small actions can make a big difference! At Freshwater Future, we help thousands of communities around the Great Lakes protect their local waters so that, together, we can protect the whole of the Great Lakes. Individual actions are powerful, too! Here are four little things with big impact that you […]
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 […]
HELP FIGHT ALGAE BLOOMS IN LAKE ERIE. SIGN THE PLEDGE HERE. ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, CANADIAN FRESHWATER ALLIANCE, AND FRESHWATER FUTURE CANADA For immediate release: July 13, 2017 Environmental groups urge action to protect Lake Erie following severe algae bloom forecast Toronto, Ont. – The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) […]
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 […]