Speech

 

Good morning, and thank you for coming.

Let me give special thanks to HMCS York, and to all the Naval Reservists here, for sharing their space with us. I like to think Environment Canada, too, is engaged in a kind of “coastal defence.” In our case, however, we’re protecting the integrity and quality of our precious water itself.

Either way, HMCS York—in full view of Lake Ontario in all its splendour—makes an ideal venue for this event.

I am really pleased to be here today, by the lake, to make this announcement.

We all know the Great Lakes are fundamental to the well-being of millions of people on both sides of the border. They provide drinking water to 8.5 million Canadians. They sustain billions in trade every year between Canada and the United States. And they form an ecosystem that is home to a staggering 150 species of fish and3,500 plants and animals.

And that’s not even the half of it.

Back in the 1970s, the Great Lakes were under siege from algae blooms, which had many negative impacts including depriving some areas in the lakes of oxygen. Canada and the United States launched an unprecedented binational study of the health of the Great Lakes and took decisive action by signing the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972. Guided by this landmark agreement, we built and upgraded municipal wastewater treatment plants… we set limits on the use of phosphorus in household detergents… and we engaged farmers in improving land use practices including the use of fertilizers.

The result: we solved the algae problem.

Forty years later, for a variety of reasons, toxic and nuisance algae are back with a vengeance. They’re increasing water treatment costs. They’re threatening tourism, recreation and commercial fishing. And they’re disrupting the balance of nature in our ecosystems.

We need to take action once again—and once again we need to base that action on a foundation of sound science.

In September, as you may know, I was in Washington to sign an updated version of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Together, Canada and the United States will focus on a broad range of new challenges related to chemicals, nutrients, and ship pollution. For the first time, we will also address aquatic invasive species, the impact of climate change, and habitat conservation in a truly comprehensive fashion.

Needless to say, we will deal with excessive algae. To that end, we will expand nutrient monitoring, and enhance research resulting in new binational targets for the reduction of phosphorus discharges to the Great Lakes.

I’m pleased to announce, today, that we’re taking the first step today by investing $16 million in the Great Lakes Nutrient Initiative. Initially, we will focus on Lake Erie, which is at greatest risk. But we’ll take what we’ve learned there, and apply it to the other Great Lakes, and beyond. And once we have agreement on scientifically defensible targets, the amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement commits both Canada and the United States to taking actions to achieve those targets thereby protecting the Great Lakes for present and future generations.

The Harper Government is committed to protecting the quality of our water resources, and the Great Lakes—the largest system of fresh surface water in the world—is among our highest priorities. Using modern science, the Great Lakes Nutrient Initiative will help us better understand the algae problem, and position us to implement the necessary actions to restore and protect Great Lakes water quality.

Thank you.