Statement on Ontario’s new Great Lakes Protection Act

Toronto, October 7, 2015 – In response to Ontario passing new legislation to protect the Great Lakes today, David Miller, CEO and President of WWF-Canada issued the following statement:

 “The passing of the Great Lakes Protection Act is a historic milestone for Ontario. The new Act is intended to protect and restore the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin, and also creates opportunities for local communities to help take care of the Great Lakes, the world’s largest group of freshwater lakes.

 The passing of this legislation is timely, because the Great Lakes watershed faces threats of pollution, habitat loss and fragmentation, overuse of water resources, and spread of invasive species. WWF, with members of the Great Lakes Protection Alliance, provided feedback to strengthen past versions of the Act. We are excited to see this new legislation that will provide new policy tools to safeguard, restore and protect Ontario’s portion of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin.

 WWF- Canada’s vision is to see all Canadian water in good ecological condition by 2025. This new Act will help us to achieve this goal. It is a positive step toward protecting this globally significant resource.”

Read more about the health of the Great Lakes Watersheds and other watershed: watershedreports.wwf.ca
 
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For more information:
 
Rowena Calpito, Communications Specialist WWF-Canada, 416-489-4567 ext 7267, [email protected]