OTTAWA, Ont. -- May 19,
2009 -- Canada’s Environment Minister, the
Honourable Jim Prentice, today announced
appointments to the National Round Table
on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE).
The appointments of
Ms. Dianne Cunningham, Mr. John V. Hachey,
Mr. Franklin Holtforster and Ms. Leah C.
Lawrence are for three years.
"These individuals
bring with them a wealth of experience and
expertise that will greatly complement the
work that the Round Table does," said
Minister Prentice. "Their understanding
of the issues that NRTEE addresses make
them ideal choices to continue to explore
the relationship between the environment
and the economy as they become increasingly
interlinked."
NRTEE’s members are
drawn from distinguished leaders in business
and labour, universities, environmental
organizations, Aboriginal communities and
municipalities who offer different perspectives
on issues of environmental concern.
The roundtable undertakes
research based on sound knowledge, advises
governments and stakeholders on key issues
and promotes best practices on sustainable
development. Results of its research and
discussions are disseminated both nationally
and internationally.
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Federal Government and
Partners Deliver on Commitment to Improve
Detroit River
WINDSOR, Ont. -- May
21, 2009 -- Jeff Watson, Member of Parliament
for Essex, on behalf of the Honourable Jim
Prentice, Minister of the Environment, extended
the Government of Canada’s congratulations
today at an event celebrating the successful
excavation and removal of contaminated sediment
and bank soil at Turkey Creek.
The remediation project
removed approximately 975 cubic meters of
contaminated sediments and bank soil from
the creek. Work on the project ran from
August to November 2008. Project partners
included Environment Canada, Ontario’s Ministry
of the Environment, the City of Windsor,
the Essex Region Conservation Authority,
the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup, and
local industry representatives. Environment
Canada contributed $250,000 to the total
project cost.
Turkey Creek is a tributary
of the Detroit River. Remediation of this
area will not only address the contamination
that has been biologically available to
aquatic life and has contributed to the
fish advisories found within the Detroit
River but will also prevent the movement
of these contaminants downstream.
"We are proud to
be partners in this important initiative.
Thanks to the actions taken here at Turkey
Creek, we have improved the state of the
Detroit River and produced a cleaner local
environment,” said MP Jeff Watson. “We have
also taken an important step in ensuring
a healthy and sustainable future for the
nearly three million citizens in Canada
and the United States who rely on the watersheds
of Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie and the connecting
Detroit River."
Turkey Creek is also
part of the Detroit River Area of Concern
(AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement. This project is a significant
contribution to the restoration of water
quality and environmental health in the
AOC, and helps Canada meet its commitments.
Theinvestment in cleaning up the Detroit
River is part of the Government of Canada's
Action Plan for Clean Water.
Minister Prentice said
"Our Government is committed to clean
water and clean air and to delivering results
for Canadians. Thanks to the hard work of
Environment Canada and our partners we’ve
addressed a major ecological challenge in
the area and have made a real difference
for Windsor and Essex County."
Frédéric Baril
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
+ More
Canadian Hurricane Centre
Ready for the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season
HALIFAX, N.S. -- May
21, 2009 -- Environment Canada’s Canadian
Hurricane Centre is making sure that Canadians
are prepared for another active hurricane
season.
“A number of international
forecast centres have declared that this
hurricane season will follow the general
trend of the last decade. With that in mind,
we want to remind Canadians that it‘s time
to start preparing for hurricane season.”
says Peter Bowyer, Program Manager for the
Canadian Hurricane Centre.
TheUnited States National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
ColoradoState University's Tropical Cyclone
Lab, and the Tropical Storm Risk Initiative
in the United Kingdom, all predict that
the level of hurricane activity in the Atlantic
will be at or above normal for the 2009
hurricane season. The NOAA numbers, released
at 12:00 noon ADT today, call for 9-14 named
storms, 4-7 hurricanes, and 1-3 major hurricanes.
Environment Canada encourages
Canadians to be ready for hurricane season,
by preparing themselves and their property,
and by watching and listening for Environment
Canada’s hurricane bulletins on the internet
at weatheroffice.gc.ca, on Weatheradio,
or through local media.
Last year, all of eastern
Canada felt the impacts of the hurricane
season as five post-tropical storms entered
Canada or its waters. Cristobal tracked
through the marine district south of Atlantic
Canada; Hanna passed through the southern
Maritimes; Ike swept through southern Ontario,
Quebec and Labrador; Kyle moved through
all three Maritime Provinces; and Laura
clipped the outer Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
Hurricane season officially
runs from June through November when the
waters of the Atlantic are warm enough to
produce a tropical cyclone, the general
category of weather system which includes
tropical depressions, tropical storms and
hurricanes. Hurricanes typically start to
become more of a concern in Canadian waters
a bit later in the season; however, the
Centre maintains a year-round vigil, monitoring
the Atlantic Ocean for any tropical cyclone
that may form and threaten Canada or its
waters.
Environment Canada is
responsible for issuing severe weather watches
and warnings in Canada for conditions like
torrential rain, strong winds, storm surges
and high waves that tropical systems like
hurricanes can bring.
Peter Bowyer
Program Manager
Canadian Hurricane Centre
Environment Canada
