JACKSON'S POINT, Ont.
-- August 27, 2009 -- On behalf of the Honourable
Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment,
the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister
of Public Safety and Member of Parliament
for York Simcoe, announced today the third
and fourth groups of
projects under the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up
Fund.
“We’re investing in
Lake Simcoe because it is a critical resource
that provides safe drinking water for eight
municipalities and, through recreational
activities, generates more than $200 million
a year for the local economy,” said Minister
Van Loan. “These projects represent an investment
that will help to ensure Lake Simcoe has
a healthy future.”
“Environment Canada
has a strong, comprehensive, approach to
ensure clean water for all Canadians, and
the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund is an important
part of that plan,” said Environment Minister
Jim Prentice. “It is a great example of
how we collaborate with stakeholders to
take concrete and measurable actions that
improve water quality.”
Initiatives funded by
the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund are designed
to preserve and protect the environment
of Lake Simcoe. Forty-four projects will
receive a total of $5,504,231 as part of
an overall investment of $30 million over
five years, which was announced in February
2008.
“Through our previous
Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund funding, we’ve
engaged our partners to undertake 23 projects
that have helped to reduce the amount of
phosphorus entering the lake by 15 kg annually.
We’re proud of the fact that we’ve been
able to restore 3.5 km of urban and rural
stream banks and planted over 6,500 trees
and shrubs,” said Gayle Wood, Chief Administrative
Officer of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation
Authority.
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.
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Government of Canada
Invests in Projects to Restore and Protect
the St. Lawrence River and its Estuary,
the Saguenay River Fjord
SAGUENAY, Que. -- August
31, 2009 -- The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn,
Minister of National Revenue and Minister
of State (Agriculture), on behalf of Canada’s
Environment Minister, Jim Prentice, today
announced $512,000 in funding under the
St. Lawrence Plan Community Interaction
Program for eight Quebec organizations.
These eight projects
are slated for various areas across Quebec,
including the Saguenay, Gaspé, Magdalen
Islands, and Montréal regions. “The
project objectives include enhancing and
preserving various natural sites, protecting
animal breeding grounds, restoring damaged
shorelines, and sustaining the economic
development of certain fishing activities,
all concrete examples of sustainable development,”
declared Minister Prentice.
“I am especially pleased
to see the level of enthusiasm in communities
along the St. Lawrence River for the protection
of our natural heritage,” commented Minister
Blackburn. “Local initiatives provide a
shining example of the willingness of the
area’s residents and more specifically riverside
communities to get directly involved in
helping protect, conserve and enhance the
St. Lawrence River. This is why the Government
of Canada provides financial support for
these community efforts.”
The Community Interaction
Program is part of the St. Lawrence Plan.
The program provides technical and financial
support for projects undertaken by riverside
communities to protect and conserve the
St. Lawrence River and its estuary, the
Saguenay River Fjord. The program is funded
by the Canadian and Quebec governments.
Additional project funding may also be provided
by local organizations, job creation programs,
and voluntary contributions.
The St. Lawrence Plan,
which is in its fourth phase, will continue
until the end of March 2010. The Plan’s
main objectives are the protection, conservation,
and enhancement of the St. Lawrence River.
Additional information
can be found on the St. Lawrence Plan Web
site: www.planstlaurent.qc.ca.
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Government of Canada
Supports Local Community Organization Delivering
Results on the Environment
MEDICINE HAT, Alta,
-- August 28, 2009 -- LaVar Payne, Member
of Parliament for Medicine Hat, on behalf
of Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice,
announced an investment of $427,525 to the
Alberta Conservation Association for the
Alberta MULTISAR project under the Habitat
Stewardship Program.
“The Government of Canada
is committed to protecting and preserving
our environment,” said Minister Prentice.
“We are proud to support the on-the-ground
efforts of Canadians across the country
to aggressively protect the plants and animals
at risk in our communities. Grassroots initiatives
like these help us to deliver real results
for Canadians by improving our environment.”
The Government is investing
$3 million this year alone in communities
across the Prairie Provinces and the North
through the Habitat Stewardship Program.
The Program contributes to the recovery
of endangered, threatened and other species
at risk while also preventing species from
becoming a conservation concern.
The Alberta MULTISAR
project promotes stewardship activities
through the voluntary participation of residents
on both Crown and private land. MULTISAR
is a collaborative effort between government,
non-government and landholders in Southern
Alberta. To date, habitat conservation strategies
have been applied to 17 properties totalling
almost 200,000 acres of land where species
at risk and their habitats are being responsibly
managed.
“The success of the
MULTISAR program is the result of individuals,
conservation groups, companies and government
who are committed to species at risk conservation
and recovery,” states Todd Zimmerling, President
and CEO, Alberta Conservation Association.
“We can be optimistic about the future of
conservation with such strong support at
the local level from landowners and ranchers
who manage the land and recognize the value
of maintaining or creating habitat for these
species.”
“The Government of Canada
is committed to addressing the environmental
priorities of Canadians,” said Mr. Payne.
“Today’s announcement is another concrete
example of our commitment to supporting
community efforts to protect your local
environment, as well as in communities across
Canada.”
The Habitat Stewardship
Program is intended to help Canadians protect
species at risk and their habitats. The
overall goal is to contribute to the recovery
of endangered, threatened and other species
at risk while also preventing other species
from becoming a conservation concern. The
Program is part of 12 community action programs
managed or co-managed by Environment Canada.
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
