Conservatives deliver cash for Lake Simcoe’s environment

News release from York-Simcoe MP Peter Van Loan March 29 2012
Ottawa – Today, the federal government surprised and delivered significant new dollars for Lake Simcoe’s environment.  In Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012, the Conservative Government restarted the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund. As the Budget said:
The Government is working together with partners to protect and restore Canada’s resources for the benefit of all Canadians.  Going forward, the Government will continue to pursue water quality and ecosystem health improvement in lakes and other bodies of water, such as Lake Winnipeg and Lake Simcoe.
The original financial commitment was intended to be a one-time expenditure which was fully completed this year.  The Conservative government was the first to ever deliver funding for Lake Simcoe’s environment.
“I was pleased to join other local Conservative Members of Parliament in working to get new funds for the clean-up of Lake Simcoe,” said Peter Van Loan.  “There has been much valuable work done to improve the health of Lake Simcoe.  The hard work and financial contributions by many local volunteers and community groups will continue to move forward with strong support from our government.”
The Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund was a federal first and in five years has funded over 140 projects.
The original funding was based on a study by the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority, which identified the needs to restore the lake’s health.  However, while much progress has taken place, it is clear that more still remains to be done.
Scientists have said that the lake’s health is now recovering – with phosphorous levels dropping and some formerly native fish species spawning again locally for the first time in decades.It is intended that the funding will focus on physical remediation efforts that make a real difference to the lake’s environmental research.
“I am committed to protecting and cleaning up Lake Simcoe’s environment,” continued Peter Van Loan. “This is important to the communities that live around its shores.  We witnessed the original investment deliver real results for the health of the lake.  We also saw how much it contributed to supporting local businesses and hard working families who rely on the lake.  This is a good day for the residents of the Lake Simcoe watershed.”
In addition to the Lake Simcoe Clean-Up Fund, Peter Van Loan and the Conservative government have a long record of delivering results for Lake Simcoe’s environment, including:
·         Mandatory rules to protect the lake’s ecosystem form the threat of invasive species;
·         A virtual ban on phosphates in detergents;
·         Regulations for managing municipal wastewater; and
·         A ban on waste dumping.