Lake Simcoe Watch – It’s time for these local MPP’s to clean-up Lake Simcoe

Last night, Barrie Council directed Mayor Alex Nuttall to meet with the federal and provincial Ministers of the Environment to discuss phosphorus reduction initiatives.

The mayor could start his meeting with Provincial Environment Minister Andrea Khanjin by asking why work has still not started on the Holland Marsh Phosphorus Reduction Plant. As Ms. Khanjin’s predecessor, David Piccini, observed, “This is the single largest initiative in Ontario’s history to reduce phosphorus in this lake.” But despite these statements, the provincial government still has no timeline for starting – let alone finishing – this important project.

It’s an example of how the provincial government has repeatedly failed to walk its talk on protecting Lake Simcoe. In 2009 the Government of Ontario released its Lake Simcoe Protection Plan which called for Lake Simcoe’s phosphorus pollution to be reduced by 50% to 44 tonnes per year to protect our cold-water fishery (e.g., lake trout and whitefish) and to prevent algae blooms and excessive weed growth.

Unfortunately, the provincial government has still not developed a plan and a budget to achieve the 44-tonne target. As a result, Lake Simcoe’s phosphorus pollution has risen by 26% between 2015 and 2020, relative to its 2009 level.

What you can do

We need the five government MPPs (Caroline Mulroney, Andrea Khanjin, Jill Dunlop, Laurie Scott and Doug Downey) who represent the people living in the Lake Simcoe watershed to stand up for the Lake they claim to love.

Please ask them to develop a plan and a budget to reduce Lake Simcoe’s phosphorus pollution to 44 tonnes per year with a target date of 2030.

Thank you,

Jack Gibbons,

Chair, Lake Simcoe Watch