Introduction
Canada welcomes the recommendations contained in the Ninth Biennial Report and acknowledges the important role that the International Joint Commission (IJC) continues to play in helping to shape Great Lakes activities. Canada shares the Commission's sentiment that there are positive signs the Great Lakes are returning to better health since the Agreement was initially signed in 1972.
The responses to the recommendations of the International Joint Commission's Ninth Biennial Report reflect the input of a number of federal and provincial agencies which contribute to the overall Canadian program on the Great Lakes. Governments, however, cannot clean up the Great Lakes on their own. The achievements of the program would not be possible without the contributions of our partners - municipalities, industry, conservation authorities, environmental and conservation interest groups, First Nations, and private citizens - who all help to deliver environmental results.
Government of Canada action to clean-up and protect the Great Lakes ecosystem and fulfill Canada's international obligations under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) was formalized in 1989 with the launch of the Great Lakes Action Plan. The program was renewed in 1994 as the Great Lakes 2000 initiative, a six year partnership among seven federal departments.
The Canada-Ontario Agreement (COA) Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem was also renewed in 1994, and commits the federal and provincial governments to work jointly to achieve specified measurable results that contribute to the restoration of degraded areas, the prevention of pollution and the conservation of human and ecosystem health. Together, the Great Lakes 2000 initiative and the Canada-Ontario Agreement make up the Canadian Great Lakes Program.
The significant progress achieved by the Canadian Great Lakes Program since 1994 is reported biennially through the COA Progress Report.
As we look forward to the next millennium, we recognize that much has been accomplished in relation to meeting the intent and objectives of the GLWQA, and much more remains to be done. Both Canada and Ontario are committed to continuing efforts to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem, thereby ensuring an healthy and sustainable future. The Governments also support a balanced effort between reducing the chemical risk to human health and maintaining the overall health of the ecosystem, particularly the protection of physical habitat, biological diversity and the integrity of biological systems.
- Introduction
- Response to Recommendations
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