NEWMARKET, Ont. – On behalf of Canada's Environment Minister, the Honourable Jim Prentice, Lois Brown, Member of Parliament for Newmarket—Aurora, today announced that six new projects will receive funding under round 5 of the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund.
Initiatives funded by the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund are designed to preserve and protect the environment of Lake Simcoe. Six projects will receive a total of $331,900 as part of an overall investment of $30 million over five years, which was announced in February 2008.
“The Lake Simcoe Clean-up Fund takes a clear, comprehensive approach to ensuring clean water for hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Locally, this translates into funding initiatives like the Storm Water Pond Maintenance project led by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority”, said M.P. Brown.
“Lake Simcoe is an important natural resource, as well as a regional economic driver, and through this $30 million, five-year fund, the Government of Canada is helping members of the local Lake Simcoe community take real action to restore the health of this important lake,” said Minister Prentice.
According to Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority Chair, Virginia Hackson, the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund “has been extraordinarily successful. We’ve undertaken more than 60 projects that would not have been possible otherwise. The positive impacts on the watershed will be felt for years to come.”
The Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund is used to support priority projects led by community organizations, land owners, non-government environmental groups, community groups, educational institutions, small and medium sized businesses, the provincial and municipal governments, and the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority. The fund supports projects that contribute to:
- Reducing phosphorus inputs from rural and urban sources;
- Rehabilitating priority habitats to restore the health of the aquatic ecosystem and the coldwater fishery; and
- Improving scientific understanding of the lake for decision-making.
The fund is administered by Environment Canada in consultation with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Province of Ontario, the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority and other key stakeholders. Twice a year, Environment Canada solicits proposals for clean-up projects.
Environment Canada is assisted by the Protect and Preserve the Environment of Lake Simcoe Committee (PROPEL), and a Technical Review Committee. The PROPEL Committee members were appointed by the Minister of the Environment on October 12, 2007 to advise on priority actions and funding recommendations.
This investment to clean up Lake Simcoe is part of the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Clean Water, which includes projects like the Health of the Oceans initiative to protect Canada’s three oceans, the clean-up of contaminated sediment in Great Lakes Areas of Concern, and action on pollution in Lake Winnipeg.
