The Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative supports local projects to address environmental challenges affecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health.
Canada announced an investment of $420 million over 10 years, starting in 2023, through the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative, to accelerate the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes. This was part of Canada's larger investment of $650 million in the Freshwater Action Plan to protect and restore freshwater bodies of national significance.
- complete remedial actions in 12 of 14 remaining Canadian Areas of Concern by 2030, and in all 14 by 2038; and
- meet phosphorus load reduction targets for Lake Erie by 2039.
The Canada Water Agency is funding 31 new projects over 3 years starting in 2026-2027, totaling over $6.6 million. This is in addition to almost $6.5 million over 4 years, starting in 2024-2025, in dedicated funding to the Chiefs of Ontario and Anishinabek Nation to support their participation in Great Lakes governance, science and stewardship.
These investments will focus on the following priorities:
- Restoring water quality and ecosystem health in Great Lakes Areas of Concern
- Preventing toxic and nuisance algae
- Restoring and protecting critically important coastal areas, including wetlands
- Reducing releases of harmful chemicals
- Supporting community-based science
- Increasing participation of Indigenous peoples in governance, stewardship, and monitoring
- Advancing Great Lakes governance, accountability, and reporting mechanisms
Recipients 2026-2027:
Preventing toxic and nuisance algae (Lake Ontario)
Lower Trent Region Conservation Authority
Project: Implementing Priority Actions Under the Bay of Quinte Phosphorus Management Plan
Funding Amount: $190,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will implement priority actions under the Bay of Quinte Phosphorus Management Plan to reduce nutrient runoff and soil erosion entering Lake Ontario. Activities include conducting soil nutrient testing and helping local farmers adopt agricultural best management practices.
Increasing public engagement through community-based science
Métis Nation of Ontario
Project: Métis engagement in Great Lakes governance, monitoring and stewardship
Funding Amount: $670,000 over 2 years
*Amendment to 2024-2025 funded project
Project Description: This project will support the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) in engaging Métis on Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health issues. The project will also enable the MNO to advance its Great Lakes strategic plan by conducting water quality monitoring, implementing stewardship activities and coordinating Métis participation in Great Lakes governance processes.
Restoring Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Mohawk Council of Akwesasne
Project: Community engagement on restoration of the St. Lawrence River (Cornwall/Akwesasne) Area of Concern
Funding Amount: $300,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the St. Lawrence River (Cornwall/Akwesasne) Area of Concern. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Caldwell First Nation
Project: Community engagement on restoration of the Detroit River Area of Concern
Funding Amount: $130,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support Caldwell First Nation's involvement in decision-making for the Detroit River Area of Concern. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Aamjiwnaang First Nation
Project: Community engagement on restoration of the St. Clair River and Detroit River Areas of Concern
Funding Amount: $130,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support Aamjiwnaang First Nation's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the St. Clair River and Detroit River Areas of Concern. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Walpole Island First Nation
Project: Community engagement on restoration of the St. Clair River and Detroit River Areas of Concern
Funding Amount: $128,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support Walpole Island First Nation's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the St. Clair River and Detroit River Areas of Concern. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Pays Plat First Nation
Project: Community engagement on restoration of the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern in Recovery
Funding Amount: $70,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support Pays Plat First Nation's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern in Recovery. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Biigtigong Nishnaabeg
Project: Community engagement on restoration of the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern in Recovery and Peninsula Harbour Area of Concern
Funding Amount: $70,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support Biigtigong Nishnaabeg's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern in Recovery and the Peninsula Harbour Area of Concern. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Red Rock Indian Band
Project: Community engagement on restoration of the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern in Recovery
Funding Amount: $70,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support the Red Rock Indian Band's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the Jackfish Bay Area of Concern in Recovery. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Garden River First Nation
Project: Community engagement on restoration of the St. Marys River Area of Concern
Funding Amount: $70,000 for 2 years
Project Description: This project will support Garden River First Nation's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the St. Marys River Area of Concern. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Batchewana First Nation
Project: Implementation of Fish Habitat Restoration at Whitefish Island
Funding Amount: $1,750,000 over 3 years
Project Description: This project will implement restoration actions to improve fish habitat and ecosystem function in Whitefish Island, while supporting Batchewana First Nation's involvement in decision-making, assessment, and the sharing of Traditional Ecological Knowledge for the St. Marys River Area of Concern.
Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte
Project: Community engagement on restoration of Bay of Quinte Area of Concern
Funding Amount: $205,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the Bay of Quinte Area of Concern. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation
Project: Community engagement on restoration of Toronto and Region, Hamilton, and Niagara River Areas of Concern
Funding Amount: $170,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the Toronto and Region, Hamilton Harbour and Niagara River Areas of Concern. Activities will focus on community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Project: Community engagement and restoration for the Toronto, Hamilton, and Niagara River Areas of Concern
Funding Amount: $80,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation's involvement in decision-making and assessment for the Toronto and Region, Hamilton Harbour, and Niagara River Areas of Concern. Activities will improve local fish habitat and ecosystem function in Cootes Paradise Marsh and will include community engagement, beneficial use assessments, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help restore local water quality and ecosystem health.
City of Hamilton
Project: City of Hamilton - Harmful Algal Bloom Strategy
Funding Amount: $100,000 over 1 year
Project Description: This project will develop the City of Hamilton's Harmful Algal Bloom Strategy to address the aesthetic impacts of recurring harmful algal blooms in priority areas of Hamilton Harbour.
City of Hamilton
Project: Implementation of the City of Hamilton Watershed Action Plan - Priority Projects in Support of the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern
Funding Amount: $90,000 over 1 year
Project Description: This project will reduce nutrient and sediment inputs to improve water quality and restore nearshore fish and wildlife habitat in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern. Activities include shoreline restoration and naturalization in priority areas and expanding the City's Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program.
Royal Botanical Gardens
Project: Wetland Rehabilitation at Royal Botanical Gardens in Support of the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern 2026-2027
Funding Amount: $250,000 over 1 year
Project Description: This project will restore and protect wetland habitat in Cootes Paradise and Grindstone marshes within Hamilton Harbour. Activities include operating a fishway barrier to improve water clarity, implementing shoreline and channel restoration, and reintroducing southern wild rice in collaboration with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Bay Area Restoration Council of Hamilton and Halton, Inc.
Project: Beneficial Use Impairment Assessment and Engagement to Support Restoration of the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern
Funding Amount: $70,000 over 1 year
Project Description: This project will assess aesthetic conditions and deliver public outreach programs in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern. Activities include conducting monthly aesthetic monitoring, developing products to track remedial actions, and coordinating public outreach and education programs.
Quinte Conservation Association
Project: Long Term Monitoring in Support of the Bay of Quinte Phosphorus Management Plan
Funding Amount: $72,985 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will track progress against nutrient reduction targets in the Bay of Quinte Phosphorus Management Plan and support communication and engagement on the status of beneficial use impairments within the Bay of Quinte Area of Concern.
Essex Region Conservation Authority
Project: Remedial Action Plan Coordination for the Detroit River Area of Concern (2026-2028)
Funding Amount: $160,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will coordinate the implementation of the Detroit River Remedial Action Plan to advance the delisting of the Detroit River Area of Concern. Activities include supporting habitat restoration projects, conducting community and Indigenous engagement, and assessing progress for the remaining beneficial use impairments.
St. Clair Region Conservation Authority
Project: Remedial Action Plan Coordination for the St. Clair River Area of Concern (2026-2028)
Funding Amount: $157,359 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will advance the restoration of the St. Clair River Area of Concern by coordinating community and Indigenous engagement to assess remaining environmental issues. Activities include raising local awareness and analyzing data on riverbed health and fish consumption restrictions.
Halton Region Conservation Authority
Project: Remedial Action Plan Coordination for the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern (2026-2029)
Funding Amount: $176,000 over 3 years
Project Description: This project will coordinate priority restoration projects and partner engagement in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern. Activities include developing a five-year Remedial Action Plan, supporting the assessment of beneficial uses, and tracking local progress towards restoration.
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
Project: Remedial Action Plan Coordination for the Niagara River Area of Concern (2026-2029)
Funding Amount: $210,000 over 3 years
Project Description: This project will advance engineering designs for the Lyons Creek East contaminated sediment management project and complete status assessment reports and community engagement for the remaining beneficial use impairments, including fish and wildlife habitat loss.
St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences
Project: Remedial Action Plan Coordination for the St. Lawrence River (Cornwall/Akwesasne) Area of Concern (2026-2028)
Funding Amount: $180,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will support the restoration of the St. Lawrence River (Cornwall/Akwesasne) Area of Concern by assessing the remaining beneficial use impairments and coordinating community and Indigenous engagement.
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Project: Remedial Action Plan Coordination for the Toronto and Region Area of Concern (2026-2028)
Funding Amount: $320,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will complete the assessment of beach closures, algae, fish consumption restrictions, and habitat loss to guide the Toronto and Region Area of Concern toward its delisting goals. The work directly supports Aquatic Habitat Toronto in evaluating waterfront infrastructure designs and tracking local restoration success.
Reduce releases of harmful chemicals
The Governing Council of the University of Toronto
Project: A Nondisruptive and Cost-Effective 6PPD Treatment Package for Recycled Rubber
Funding Amount: $189,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will develop and pilot a treatment package to remove over 90% of the toxic tire chemical 6PPD from recycled rubber to help reduce harmful runoff in Great Lakes habitats.
McMaster University
Project: Mechanisms of Non-Equilibrium PFAS Mobility and Transport from Wastewater Sources to the Great Lakes
Funding Amount: $200,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will map and model how toxic PFAS chemicals travel from wastewater sources through water, soil, and sediment in the Lake Ontario, Erie, and Huron basins. The data will create a predictive tool to identify high-risk areas to prevent these chemicals from spreading.
The University of Western Ontario
Project: Reducing the Release of Harmful Chemicals to the Great Lakes from Urban Runoff by Advancing the Treatment Performance of Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Funding Amount: $200,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will optimize natural constructed stormwater systems to better filter PFAS and tire wear chemicals from urban runoff. Design guidelines will be shared with municipalities and engineers to reduce the amount of chemicals entering the Great Lakes.
Queen's University at Kingston
Project: Transforming Great Lakes Sediment Remediation: A Climate-Resilient Integrated System to Reduce Releases of Chemicals of Mutual Concern
Funding Amount: $200,000 over 2 years
Project Description: This project will develop a new technology to treat and safely trap toxic chemicals buried in lake and river sediment before they can spread. It will also test the technology's effectiveness under real outdoor conditions using sediment samples collected from Lake Ontario and the St. Marys River.
Working together
International Association for Great Lakes Research
Project: International Association for Great Lakes Research and Society of Canadian Aquatic Sciences Joint Conference
Funding Amount: $3,500 over 1 year
Project Description: This funding supports hosting the 2026 Joint Conference of the International Association for Great Lakes Research and the Society of Canadian Aquatic Sciences in Winnipeg in May 2026. The conference will bring together scientists and policy experts to share research, collaborate, and advance freshwater stewardship for the Great Lakes and other large lake ecosystems.
Essex Region Conservation Authority
Project: Tour of the Detroit River Area of Concern for June Great Lakes Executive Committee Meeting
Funding Amount: $5,000 over 1 year
Project Description: This project supported the organization of a tour of the Detroit River Area of Concern during the June 2026 Great Lakes Executive Committee meeting. The tour allowed Canada, the U.S., and Great Lakes partners to observe environmental conditions and discuss progress on ecosystem restoration.
