The Government of Canada supports community project to protect and conserve fresh water

THUNDER BAY, ON, Sept. 6, 2019 /CNW/ - The quality of our fresh water is essential to the health of Canadians and their environment. Canada is committed to protecting and conserving our valuable resources by taking action on issues that threaten fresh water.

The Government of Canada is combatting plastic pollution by investing $95,212 in funding for the Plastics Reduction in Northwestern Ontario and the Lake Superior Basin project under the EcoAction Community Funding Program. This funding helps support a community project that takes action to protect and conserve fresh water. The project will engage people in the community to take part in protecting their environment.

The project will improve freshwater quality in four communities by reducing plastic pollution in local waterways. In addition, the funding will help local businesses as well as Indigenous groups and institutions develop and implement action plans to reduce their waste.

EcoAction projects will divert and reduce harmful substances like plastic waste, restore aquatic habitat, and encourage people to take action at home to conserve freshwater resources.

Quotes

"Our government is proud to partner with community groups and work together to tackle issues affecting Canada's fresh water. Through EcoAction, we are engaging Canadians directly to achieve positive environmental results to help ensure we can live and prosper in a clean and healthy environment for generations to come."
– Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"Clean freshwater resources are vital for the communities that rely on them. Everyone in Canada should have access to safe, clean drinking water. We are working together with local communities, including Indigenous groups, to take action to protect and conserve water and reduce plastic pollution to improve the health of our environment."
– Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Superior North

Quick facts

• EcoAction projects are expected to
• protect, stabilize, or improve over 5,000 hectares of shoreline;
• reduce or divert close to 50,000 kilograms of harmful waste; and
• reduce water consumption by close to 10 million litres—the equivalent of what over 100 Canadians consume in a year, on average.
• Since 1995, EcoAction has approved close to $118 million in funding for 3,184 projects that engage Canadians in direct environmental activities.
• Since 2006, EcoAction has helped engage over 2.7 million Canadians in environmental activities.
• For every dollar received through EcoAction, approximately $2.41 is contributed by other funding partners.

Associated links

• EcoAction Community Funding Program
• Funded projects for 2019–20

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada