From addressing water quality to plastic pollution, the Government of Canada is working with Canadians across the country to keep water safe, clean and well-managed, now and for future generations.
Today, Member of Parliament for Halifax, Andy Fillmore, on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, announced $554,745 in funding for three new projects to directly address water-quality issues in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Wolastoq/Saint John River watersheds. The funding comes from the Atlantic Ecosystems Initiatives, which aim to improve the health, productivity, and sustainability of priority ecosystems in Atlantic Canada.
Three Nova Scotia-based organizations will receive funding to lead clean water initiatives to help protect Canada's environment from pollutants such as plastics and harmful bacteria. The projects will be carried out in collaboration with local Indigenous organizations and youth.
Saint Mary's University and Atlantic Water Network will lead a project to create an online community-based Water Monitoring Knowledge Hub that will provide up-to-date, centralized information on creating and maintaining freshwater monitoring programs. This project will focus on both priority ecosystems: the Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed and the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence watershed.
Dalhousie University and Clean Foundation will lead projects that focus on building partnerships within Nova Scotia's agricultural sector to encourage best practices in plastic disposal and to understand and address the industry's impacts on coastal water quality in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence watershed.
These projects are a demonstration of the Government of Canada's commitment to addressing plastic pollution and keeping water safe, clean and well-managed.
