‘If Canada is serious about protecting freshwater and building climate resilience, Lake Simcoe should be a priority,’ says coalition’s executive director
NEWS RELEASE
RESCUE LAKE SIMCOE COALITION
*************************
The Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition (RLSC) is pleased with the federal government’s recently unveiled nature strategy, A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature, while urging that Lake Simcoe be recognized as a key area for funding.
The federal strategy lays out a national framework for safeguarding ecosystems, enhancing water security, and investing in nature-focused infrastructure, which includes the creation of Canada’s first National Water Security Strategy.
“These are significant commitments, and we appreciate the direction,” said Jonathan Scott, executive director of the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition. “But there are ongoing and unmet funding promises to Lake Simcoe – one of Canada’s most vital freshwater ecosystems – and those promises need to be fulfilled as part of this plan.”
Lake Simcoe supplies drinking water for hundreds of thousands of Ontarians, sustains a multi-billion-dollar regional economy, and faces increasing pressure from population growth, climate change, and pollution.
“Lake Simcoe is precisely the kind of watershed this strategy aims to support,” Scott remarked. “If Canada truly cares about protecting freshwater and building climate resilience, Lake Simcoe must be prioritized.”
The Coalition pointed out strong connections between the federal strategy and its recent report, Protect Our Plan: From Good Goals to Practical Progress, which calls for improved watershed governance, science-based decision-making, and coordinated investment.
The report concludes that safeguarding Lake Simcoe requires “transparent governance, modernized scientific oversight and coordinated funding”, goals that align closely with what the federal strategy seeks to achieve.
However, the Coalition stressed that Lake Simcoe is facing urgent challenges that are growing worse. These include rising chloride levels, phosphorus loads above targets, loss of wetlands, and increased development pressure within the watershed. These issues highlight the necessity for targeted action along with fulfilling a long-standing bipartisan commitment to $40 million in restoration funding for Lake Simcoe.
“Canada’s strategy indicates an encouraging path forward,” Scott noted. “But what Lake Simcoe really needs is funding.”
The Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition mentioned that the upcoming National Water Security Strategy offers an important chance to identify priority watersheds and make real progress.
“Lake Simcoe has been a model for watershed protection with its own dedicated protection plan,” Scott added. “With renewed leadership and investment, it can once again serve as a national success story.”
*************************
Source link
