Ontario Protecting the Great Lakes

July 17, 2025

Local projects part of province’s $7.3 million investment to improve the health of local waterways and strengthen communities.

NEWS | July 17, 2025

Chatham-Kent-Leamington— Ontario is providing approximately $7.3 million to local organizations across the province for projects that will help strengthen the health and resiliency of the Great Lakes and their connecting waters, which together make up an unparalleled natural resource that supports communities, tourism and agriculture. This includes $420,000 to support two local projects in Chatham-Kent-Leamington.

“Our government is committed to protecting the long-term health of the Great Lakes, and I’m proud to see this investment supporting important local efforts here in Chatham-Kent-Leamington,” said Trevor Jones, MPP for Chatham-Kent–Leamington. “From empowering youth to lead stewardship programs to strengthening the resilience of our neighbourhoods, these projects will help ensure our community remains healthy and vibrant for generations to come.”

Local Great Lakes initiatives are funded by two provincial programs: the Great Lakes Program and the Great Lakes Local Action Fund. Projects selected for funding in Chatham-Kent-Leamington include:

• Caldwell First Nation – Thames River Youth Stewardship and Great Lakes Engagement Program ($35,000).  This project will support development and implementation of a youth-focused stewardship and engagement program tailored to the needs of Caldwell First Nation. It will involve youth, elders, knowledge keepers, and community leaders in culturally relevant programming to foster environmental stewardship and connection to the Great Lakes.

• Corporation of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent – Action Plans for Chatham-Kent: Building Resilient Neighbourhoods ($385,000).  This project will engage residents in three priority urban neighbours vulnerable to climate change impacts.  It will support the creation and implementation of neighbourhood-scale resiliency action plans to address local vulnerabilities such as flooding and heatwaves.

“The Great Lakes hold 20 per cent of the world’s fresh surface water — providing vital water resources to our communities and driving tourism and economic growth across the province,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “Our government is proud to support organizations whose hard work and innovation will help preserve the Great Lakes for generations to come.”

Projects selected for funding are led by community-based organizations, municipalities, conservation authorities, academic institutions, and Indigenous communities to protect, conserve and restore the Great Lakes and their watersheds. Funding for these projects is part of the government’s commitment to the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health and Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy.

QUICK FACTS

  • Of the $7.3 million investment, $5.5 million is provided through the 2024–25 Great Lakes Program and nearly $1.8 million is provided through the Great Lakes Local Action Fund.
  • The Great Lakes economy is the third largest in the world. Almost 83 per cent of Ontario’s power generation and 95 per cent of Ontario’s agricultural lands depend on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin.
  • Since 2018, the Ontario government has invested $80.7 million in approximately 679 projects to safeguard the Great Lakes. During that time, 52 environmental clean-up actions have taken place across 17 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes.
  • Working with the Great Lakes community partners, our government is making progress on actions included in Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy, such as:
    • Restoring 14 Areas of Concern around the Great Lakes
    • Restoring and enhancing over 9,900 acres of wetlands across Ontario through about 590 projects with $31 million in funding under the Wetlands Conservation Partner Program
    • Expanding the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, now over 3,600 kilometres long, connecting 170 communities, villages, and First Nation communities.
  • In Chatham-Kent, the Thames River and Lake Erie are vital ecosystems that support local agriculture, economic activity, and biodiversity.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  • Find out how the government is Protecting the Great Lakes.
  • Learn more about the Great Lakes Local Action Fund.

Media Contact:

Nammar Cristofari

Executive Assistant

Office of MPP Trevor Jones

Nammar.cristofari@pc.ola.org