Great Lakes need more protections

What would Canada be without the Great Lakes?

The importance of Superior, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Ontario, along with the St. Lawrence River, to our economy and to our communities cannot be overstated. The Great Lakes St. Lawrence River basin contains 20 per cent of the world’s surface freshwater, provides drinking water for one in four Canadians and sustains a $6trillion (U.S.) regional economy.

While most Canadians may not regularly think of the basin’s contributions to our quality of life, an array of work is carried out daily to protect and manage this vital freshwater resource. Federal, provincial, state and municipal governments, along with Indigenous communities in Canada and the U.S. are key actors and funders. They are supported by an ecosystem of agencies and organizations that work actively to advance policy, deliver programming and provide boots on the ground. Much of this important work is underpinned by the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the GLWQA, a signature example of cross-border collaboration to address environmental issues and jointly manage our shared natural resource. This agreement has led to the remediation of some of the most contaminated areas of the Great Lakes and makes ongoing binational co-operation possible. As we celebrate this agreement’s golden anniversary, we must strengthen it to address the threats facing our waterways and the viability of our region.

Despite 50 years of working to address water quality challenges, we are far from declaring “mission accomplished.” We are still up against toxic algal blooms undermining access to safe drinking water, thousands of tons of plastics and microplastics ending up in our waterways and invasive species wreaking havoc on our fisheries and infrastructure. Moreover, coastal communities are dealing with the devastating impacts of climate change.

It appears that in the face of these mounting challenges, Canada and the U.S. are lending renewed interest to the Great Lakes. Recently, the Biden administration and U.S. Congress pushed through a $1-billion investment in Great Lakes restoration. North of the border, the federal government has committed to launching a Canada Water Agency and a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan that would invest $1 billion over 10 years.

As both nations signal a strengthened commitment to the Great Lakes, we have an opportunity to co-develop an ambitious vision for restoring our waterways and driving clean prosperity across the basin. This vision should be based on both a modernized GLWQA, last updated in 2012, and on a binational plan for developing a Great Lakes “Blue Economy,” centred on the responsible and sustainable use of our freshwater resources.

Great Lakes cities are frontline actors in managing the impacts of water pollution, climate change and other stresses on our shorelines. They are also important players in the Canada-U.S. trade relationship. For those reasons, municipalities across the basin want to help move our region toward an integrated economy centred on the full potential of our abundant, yet fragile freshwater resources. To get there, we need leadership from Ottawa and Washington and sustained investments to maintain the viability of these essential waterways.

Nearly 70 years ago, both countries began construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway, a key North American shipping corridor. Then, 50 years ago, we came together again to sign the GLWQA. As we celebrate these milestones, cities across the Great Lakes basin want to see our national governments commit once more to advancing a long-term vision for protecting and leveraging our freshwater resources in a sustainable, inclusive and responsible manner.