Mayors Working Together For Great Lakes

Great Lakes mayors from Canada and the United States are urging Ottawa and Washington to continue funding clean-up and restoration of the Great Lakes.

Canadian mayors say they want a similar program like the U.S. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. That spent $475 million last year…with $2.2 billion possible over the next five years. The mayors just wrapped up a three day conference in Niagara, Ont. Bayfield Mayor Larry MacDonald says Canadian mayors are impressed.

“They are. Yeah, they understand that this is a precious resource that’s got to be taken care of by both sides and even though Canada is smaller, they certainly have a lot of lakeshore and they can have a lot of input into doing things right so we’re hoping they get the money,” MacDonald said.

Salaberry de Valleyfield, Quebec Mayor Denis Lapointe says a joint effort is important.

“If you’re doing some work on one side of the Great Lakes and you’re not doing anything on the Canadian side, you’re not solving the problem, the risk to problems following the work on the American side. We have the same problem. We’re sharing the same Great Lakes and the same water,” Lapointe said.

MacDonald says the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is getting attention from both Congress and Parliament. As it should be he says, since it is often local governments that have to do the work of clean-up and restoration.