February
16, 2008
“DEVOLIN
ANNOUNCES INCREASED FUNDING FOR
LAKE SIMCOE
”
BROCK
TOWNSHIP
: Local MP
Barry Devolin joined the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the
Environment, and the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Member of
Parliament for York-Simcoe to announce that the Government of
Canada is providing new funding to restore and protect
Lake Simcoe
’s environment.
The
announcement of an additional $18 million builds on the
unprecedented $12 million that was announced in Budget 2007.
This brings the Government’s total investment to $30 million
over five years.
“I
am very pleased that the Government has delivered on a
commitment protect
Lake Simcoe
’s environment,” said Devolin. “After years of inadequate
funding, the Conservative Government is taking action to improve
the water we drink, clean polluted waters, protect our
ecosystems and ensure the sustainability of our fish
resources.”
Today’s
announcement is part of
Canada
’s $93 million action plan to improve water quality and to
protect our precious lakes, rivers and oceans. The investment of
another $18 million over five years will support the
preservation, protection, and clean up of
Lake Simcoe
.
In
2006, the Federal Government imposed mandatory rules to protect
the
Lake Simcoe
ecosystem from the threat of invasive species. Other
new clean water initiatives have included banning the dumping of
sewage and other waste from water craft, and new rules virtually
banning phosphates (a major cause of harm to lake water quality)
from dishwasher detergent.
Lake Simcoe
provides drinking water to eight municipalities and is known for
its recreation industry, which generates more than $200 million
in annual revenues. The region supports farming and recreational
fishing and has recently undergone significant increased urban
development.
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30
–
For
more information contact:
Barry
Devolin, MP
(705)
324-2400 or 1-866-688-9881
