Winnipeg, Man. – August
28, 2013 – The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq,
Minister of the Environment, Minister of
the Canadian Northern Economic Development
Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council,
today announced $4.5 million in funding
under the EcoAction Community Funding Program
for new and existing projects in 2013-14.
We have already approved 83 new projects
this year.
“Our Government is taking
real action to conserve our environment
for the future,” said Minister Aglukkaq.
“EcoAction Community Funding supports local
groups and organizations that take concrete
action with on-the-ground environmental
projects.”
The EcoAction Community
Funding Program supports projects that help
Canadians to rehabilitate, protect or enhance
the natural environment, and build the capacity
of communities and individuals to ensure
long term sustainability. This year’s investment
will leverage an additional $11 million
from other partners towards new and ongoing
projects, ensuring an anticipated total
investment of approximately $15.5 million.
“The support we receive
from the EcoAction program allows our organization
to take on projects that benefit our local
environment and engage local volunteers,”
said Margaret Redmond, President and CEO
of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy. “The
Riverbank and Pathway Stabilization and
Riparian Forest Restoration project is one
of the many exciting changes underway at
Assiniboine Park and we truly appreciate
the support for this important initiative.”
“Preserving and enhancing
this natural environment - and Canada’s
natural environment as a whole – is something
our government takes very seriously,” added
Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St.James-Assiniboia,
Steven Fletcher. “Manitobans and all Canadians
are encouraged to incorporate environmentally
friendly behaviours into their daily life.”
In the previous five
years, through the EcoAction program, the
Government of Canada has approved more than
650 projects, and spent over $20 million
on community level environmental projects
across the country, demonstrating that partnerships
can achieve even greater environmental protection
for our communities.
+ More
Government of Canada
Supports Water Quality Education Project
in Kenora, Ontario
KENORA, Ont. – August
26, 2013 – The Honourable Greg Rickford,
Minister of State for Science and Technology,
on behalf of Canada’s Environment Minister,
the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, today announced
$24,636 in support to the Lake of the Wood
Development Commission from the Lake Winnipeg
Basin Stewardship Fund. This will be used
for a new environmental water quality education
project in Kenora, Ontario.
“Educating the public
about how we can all make a difference to
improve water quality in our communities
plays an important role in our efforts to
clean up Lake Winnipeg,” said Minister Rickford.
“Local community efforts really do make
a difference for the watershed as a whole.
“This funding is part
of the $18 million, five-year Lake Winnipeg
Basin Initiative, which promotes the lake’s
long-term sustainability and reduces nutrient
levels that lead to harmful algae blooms,”
said Minister Aglukkaq. “Using Environment
Canada’s scientific and water quality monitoring
expertise, in collaboration with the Province
of Manitoba and our federal partners, we
are implementing a world-class scientific
monitoring program for Lake Winnipeg.”
Environment Canada’s
Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund supports
community stewardship actions that improve
water quality in Lake Winnipeg and measurably
reduce nutrient loading that creates algal
blooms.
The Lake Winnipeg Basin
Stewardship Fund is part of Environment
Canada’s Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative
(LWBI), which was renewed in 2012 to continue
federal efforts to help clean up Lake Winnipeg.
Over the first (2007-2012) and second phases
(2012-2017) of the LWBI, the Government
of Canada has invested a total of $36 million
in community stewardship projects, scientific
research and monitoring and transboundary
management efforts to improve water quality
in Lake Winnipeg.
