(TORONTO, May 1, 2007) From November 2006 to January 2007, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO) and Pollution Probe held a series of public events on the future of the Great Lakes in Kingston, Windsor, Hamilton, Thunder Bay, and Toronto. The proceedings report, containing the comments, concerns and vision of about 500 Great Lakes stakeholders and citizens in Ontario who participated in the event, is released today, along with five guest blog posts on the subject at the Great Lakes Town Hall website.
“We hope this report will be an important addition to the ongoing dialogue on the future of the Great Lakes,” said Miller. “It provides valuable insight into how stakeholders and the public view the importance of the lakes to the economy and our quality of life.”
Despite good progress in some areas, there is increasing apprehension, on both sides of border, over the future of the Great Lakes. There are new challenges that need our urgent attention, including invasive species, increasing sewage discharges, and the threat of water withdrawals from the Great Lakes. Perhaps the most daunting of these emerging macro pressures is climate change, the effects of which are already being felt in the Great Lakes basin.
“In this world of change and disruption, we have been observing senior governments turn their attention away from the lakes,” Miller commented. “This document and the blogs can play an important role in providing information to the public and decision-makers about ecological stresses in the lakes and informing future decisions on Great Lakes management.”
Topics and themes in the proceedings report include water quality and ecological processes; water levels and water use and consumption; government and institutional support; business and economic development; community health and wellbeing; leadership and public policy; public engagement; and community development.
Blogs: www.greatlakestownhall.org/opinion/guestall.php
For further information, contact:
Hayley Easto, Communications
Office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario
Tel: (416) 325-3371
Toll-free public inquiry line: 1-800-701-6454
E-mail: media@eco.on.ca