Thunder Bay PAC Meeting – Wed., March 11
The Public Advisory Committee (PAC) to the Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan, or harbour cleanup plan, will meet at 7 p.m. on March 11th at the Balmoral Street Centre on the Lakehead University campus (Room: HS 1029). Everyone is welcome and there is no charge.
Ontario Introduces Legislation to Protect the Great Lakes
The government of Ontario is introducing legislation aimed at protecting the Great Lakes. All of the Great Lakes, including Superior, are covered by the proposed legislation but “nutrients” from substances like agricultural fertilizers and phosphorous from sewage treatment plants get special attention. The lower lakes, especially Lake Erie, have been heavily impacted by nutrients causing large-scale algae blooms. Impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes are also included. The Ontario Government says that, if passed, the new legislation would:
- Help fight climate change, reduce harmful algal blooms, and protect wetlands and other coastal areas.
- Monitor and report on the health of the lakes.
- Bring people together to take action on priority issues.
- Build on Ontario’s leadership in protecting the Great Lakes, including the Great Lakes Strategy and partnerships with Canada, Quebec, U.S.A., and the Great Lakes states.
NIPIGON BAY PAC MEETING – FEBRUARY 18TH
The next meeting of the Public Advisory Committee to the Nipigon Bay Remedial Action Plan (RAP) will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on February 18th in the Community Resource Centre (main hall) at Lake Helen, Ontario. The general public is welcome to attend and the meeting is free of charge. Click here for the meeting agenda.
Presentations about sea lamprey control will be made at the meeting by Lakehead University Masters student and former Nipigon Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry staffer Kathy Sakamoto and also by Paul Sullivan of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Paul has been invited to speak but is not yet confirmed.
Additionally, methods for making the general public aware of the Nipigon Bay RAP Completion Report and for soliciting public comment into the report will be discussed. The report is the culminating RAP document outlining environmental restoration efforts and conditions in Nipigon Bay and the Nipigon River. The Public Advisory Committee has already provided review and comments about the document which will soon become available to the general public.
Other information related to the Nipigon Bay Remedial Action Plan:
- Minutes of January 6th, 2015 PAC meeting held at the Red Rock Recreation Centre
- Audio interview regarding Nipigon River restoration work
- 1991 Nipigon Bay RAP Stage 1 Report (Environmental Conditions and Problem Definition)
- 1995 Nipigon Bay RAP Stage 2 Report (Remedial Strategies for Ecosystem Restoration)
- 1996 Nipigon Bay RAP Stage 2 Implementation Annex (Recommended Remedial Actions and Financial Commitments)
- Information about a recent Great Lakes Fishery Commission Workshop on Lampricide Resistance for Sea Lamprey
- Map of Lake Helen Community (including meeting location)
