New provincial funding is expected to help protect the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River and help municipalities better prepare for extreme weather.
The Ontario government is investing $1.5 million into the River Cities Initiative’s new Local Blue Economy Growth Fund Program, which will provide small grants to municipalities and First Nations to implement innovative approaches to improving water quality and enhancing public safety.
“This investment empowers municipalities and First Nations to put innovative water solutions in place, safeguarding their communities against major flooding events and ensuring these vital waterways remain healthy for generations to come,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, in a news release.
The funding can be invested in projects, such as small-scale stormwater management technologies that capture plastics and other harmful pollutants before they enter storm drains, and green infrastructure such as buffer strips and rain gardens to help improve water quality.
Since 2018, the province said it has invested over $83 million to support nearly 680 projects to protect and restore the Great Lakes, including reducing algae blooms in Lake Erie.
The Great Lakes contain nearly 20 per cent of the fresh surface water on the planet.
