Great Lakes Guardians meet to discuss water issues

March 23, 2016
On March 22, the Great Lakes Guardians Council invited participants that includes Great Lakes Ministers with the Ministry of the Environmental and Climate Change as the Chair, First Nation communities, leaders from Municipalities, industry, environmental groups, recreation and tourism sectors, the science community and other interest or experts.
On March 22, the Great Lakes Guardians Council invited participants that includes Great Lakes Ministers with the Ministry of the Environmental and Climate Change as the Chair, First Nation communities, leaders from Municipalities, industry, environmental groups, recreation and tourism sectors, the science community and other interest or experts.

By Rhonda Gagnon

TORONTO — The Anishinabek Nation Leadership attended the Inaugural Great Lakes Guardians Council Meeting on March 22 at the Ontario Investment and Trade Centre in Toronto with the focus on working together to address today’s Great Lakes issues.
The Great Lakes Protection Act, 2015 commits Ontario to protecting the Great Lakes and restoring them to good health. 

The Act established the Great Lakes Guardians Council to improve collaboration and coordination among the Great Lakes partners and includes Great Lakes Ministers, First Nation communities, leaders from Municipalities, industry, environmental groups, recreation and tourism sectors, the science community and other interest or experts.  The Council is to provide a forum to help identify priority action, foster collaboration, information sharing and provide input on Great Lakes priorities.

“Water is important to us; I walked around all the great lakes, and brought water from the four directions.  We as human beings need understand what is going on or we are going to lose everything,” says Josephine Mandamin, Chief Commissioner of the Anishinabek Women’s Water Commission.

Deputy Grand Council Chief Glen Hare says that “This opportunity provided us to present the Anishinabek Nation’s perspective on water, our rights and the role we play in responding to challenges to our jurisdiction over the Great Lakes.  First Nations want to be part of the decision-making process and be recognized as the jurisdictional government on the Great Lakes system.  We need to move forward together.”