Earlier this month, 
I had the privilege of joining mayoral colleagues from across Ontario and the Great Lakes states during Great Lakes Week in Washington, D.C. Representing the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (@lakesimcoeconservation), I was proud to participate in a coordinated advocacy effort led by the
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (@glslcities). Together, we met with members of Congress and the U.S. Senate to reinforce the importance of sustained, long‑term financial support for the Great Lakes—an interconnected system that includes Lake Simcoe within its watershed. Protecting these waters is not the responsibility of any single community or country; it is a shared, bi‑national obligation.
Why does this matter? The Great Lakes contain approximately 20% of the world’s surface fresh water and 84% of North America’s supply. They form the largest freshwater ecosystem on the planet and support more than 40 million people on both sides of the border. Beyond their ecological significance, the Great Lakes underpin a $6 trillion economy (approximately $9.3 trillion CAD), supporting tourism, recreation, fisheries, agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation. If the Great Lakes region were a country, it would rank as the third‑largest economy in the world.
Despite their scale and importance, the Great Lakes face serious and compounding threats. Invasive species continue to disrupt native ecosystems and food webs, placing pressure on fisheries and biodiversity. Nutrient pollution—particularly excess phosphorus from urban runoff and agricultural sources—fuels harmful algal blooms that degrade water quality, threaten drinking water supplies, and impact local economies. Climate change is intensifying these challenges, contributing to more extreme weather, shoreline erosion, fluctuating water levels, and warmer water temperatures that stress aquatic habitats. These impacts do not stop at municipal, provincial, or national borders, making cooperation essential.
We commend the United States for its sustained leadership and investment through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which has delivered measurable environmental and economic benefits across the basin. We also welcome Canada’s recent commitment of nearly $1 billion toward nationwide freshwater protection, with a strong focus on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River under Canada’s Freshwater Action Plan.
Our message in Washington was clear: protecting the Great Lakes is not only an environmental imperative—it is an economic, social, and generational responsibility that requires continued collaboration, shared investment, and collective leadership on both sides of the border.
