RBG’s Wetland Rehabilitation Program Receives Federal Funding Support

Up to $425,000 to support The Royal Botanical Gardens’ Wetlands Rehabilitation Program and $154,000 to support the City of Burlington’s Grindstone Creek Erosion Control Planning.

August, 12th, 2021 – Burlington, Ontario

The Great Lakes are essential to the health and well-being of millions of Canadians. The Government of Canada is delivering on our longstanding commitment to safeguard this important freshwater resource for Canadians by investing in local initiatives that drive innovation and create jobs.

The Royal Botanical Gardens Nature Sanctuary plays a vital role in the protection and improvement of the local ecosystem from Lake Ontario to the Niagara Escarpment.

Today, Minister Karina Gould, Member of Parliament for Burlington, on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced up to $425,000 in funding for the Royal Botanical Gardens’ Wetlands Rehabilitation Program and $154,000 to support the City of Burlington’s Grindstone Creek Erosion Control Planning.

This investment will enable the Royal Botanical Gardens to support the expansion of native species and the management of invasive species’ stressors (European Manna Grass, Phragmites, Common Carp), to restore fish and wildlife wetland habitat.

With this support, the Royal Botanical Gardens staff will monitor water quality, aquatic vegetation, the fish community, and amphibians to assess the status of the beneficial use impairments.

This will advance efforts as part of the remedial action plan to address three key issues in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern – Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae, Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat.

Funding for the City of Burlington will support detailed designs of priority erosion control protection projects in Grindstone Creek, an important tributary fish habitat in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern.

The erosion is the cause of degraded fish and wildlife habitat and a source of nutrients that causes eutrophication in Grindstone Creek and the Hamilton Harbour.

Future implementation of control projects will help to mitigate sediment discharge and improve water quality.

Both projects will advance efforts as part of the remedial action plan to address three key issues in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern – Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae, Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat.

Through the Great Lakes Protection Initiative, the Government of Canada takes action to address the most significant environmental challenges affecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health by delivering on Canada’s commitments under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

To help achieve this goal, the Government of Canada funds actions by others to:

• restore polluted Areas of Concern by supporting action at the local level to restore water quality and aquatic ecosystem health through projects identified in AOC remedial action plans
• prevent toxic and nuisance algae by increasing participation in the application of phosphorus load reduction measures and by demonstrating innovative approaches and best practices and promoting broad uptake and application
• reduce releases of harmful chemicals by increasing participation in the application of beyond-compliance measures to reduce releases of chemicals of mutual concern by developing, implementing, assessing and promoting use of innovative approaches
• engage Indigenous Peoples in addressing Great Lakes issues by enhancing Indigenous capacity to address Great Lakes issues through projects that engage Indigenous Peoples at the community level
• increase public engagement through citizen science by enhancing Canadians’ knowledge of and engagement in addressing Great Lakes issues through participation in citizen science

Quotes

“The Government of Canada encourages sustainable development initiatives to preserve our natural resources. This announcement is great news for Burlington and the wider community. We know that the health of our water systems is integral to the well-being of our community, and the federal government is pleased to support the development of sustainable projects for the future of the Hamilton Harbour and the Grindstone Creek.”
– The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development, Member of Parliament for Burlington

“Today’s announcement is welcomed news for our community. Grindstone Creek is not only a beautiful part of our natural environment, it is an important piece of green infrastructure that protects our community from flood risk and one we need to protect and preserve as much as any other piece of essential infrastructure.”
– Her Worship Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of Burlington

“Support from the Great Lakes Protection Initiative is critical for invasive species management and aquatic ecosystem restoration in our coastal marshes, and is a valuable partnership for Royal Botanical Gardens in assisting with the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement objectives. Specifically, funding will help us implement important restoration projects for the diverse habitats in the upstream portions of Cootes Paradise and Grindstone Marsh.”
– Tys Theijsmeijer, Head of Natural Areas, Royal Botanical Gardens

Associated links
Funding for Great Lakes protection

Contacts

Madeleine Case
Community Engagement Officer
Office of the Honourable Karina Gould, MP Burlington
madeleine.case.415@parl.gc.ca
905-639-5757