Our Great Lakes

THE CANDA-ONTARIO AGREEMENT RESPECTING THE GREAT LAKES BASIN ECOSYSTEM

Overview

The governments of Canada and Ontario are committed to restoring and protecting the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem, and have signed the Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem (COA).

Signatories to the Agreement are: the federal Ministers of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Health, Heritage, Natural Resources, Public Works and Government Services, and Transport; and the provincial Ministers of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Environment and Natural Resources

The Agreement outlines how the two governments will cooperate and coordinate their efforts to restore, protect and conserve the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. It builds on the actions taken through previous agreements, and focuses priorities for future actions.

A Shared Responsibility

Restoring and protecting the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem is a shared environmental responsibility.

Because of the active involvement of governments and thousands of individuals and groups, the Great Lakes are cleaner now than they have been in many years.

Continuing the cooperation with residents, municipalities, environmental groups, community organizations, industrial associations, academia, Aboriginal peoples, and youth, will be key to continued progress for a cleaner Great Lakes.

About This Agreement

The COA recognizes the need to continue to tackle the most pressing issues - such as the clean up of the Canadian Areas of Concern, increased binational cooperation on restoration on a lake-by-lake basis and the reduction of harmful pollutants. The Agreement can be amended to respond to emerging issues in the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem.

Annexes address specific environmental issues or management functions in detail and make this COA more focused than previous Agreements.

The COA is a living document - Annexes can be added at any time to focus effort on new or emerging issues that need immediate attention.

The COA clearly sets out the specific commitments of each government - i.e. who is accountable for what.

A COA Stakeholders Committee develops innovative recommendations for the COA Management Committee that address selected issues in the Great Lakes.

The COA recognizes the need for governments to help those at the local level tackle many pressing problems. By focusing on needs at the local level, community involvement is mobilized and the whole Great Lakes Basin ecosystem benefits through actions targeted to meet specific area needs.

Response to Public Comments

The draft COA was made available on this site on September 29th, 2001 for a 60 day public comment period that terminated on November 28th, 2001.