Lake Ontario has been getting some attention recently, so we thought we’d remind the government that it’s not just the name of the lake that we need to protect.
Did you know that the province of Ontario was named after this incredible lake? The name comes from the Iroquoian word “oniatarí:io,” and means “lake of shining waters.”
Add your voice to establish a National Marine Conservation Area in Lake Ontario!
Lake Ontario is a crucial home to species at risk and must be protected.
The Eastern basin of Lake Ontario is rich in wildlife and is a crucial location for over 50 species of birds, reptiles, plants, and fish at risk, like the Blanding’s Turtle, Piping Plover and American Eel. The shoreline and waters have unique conditions that support rare species and provide stopover areas for migratory birds.
But the area is vulnerable — Lake Ontario is one of the least protected of the Great Lakes. Land development, runoff pollution, invasive species, climate change, and a lack of protection mean that this natural gem and all the wildlife that inhabit it face an uncertain future unless we act now. Send a letter of support today!
Many First Nations, like the Haudenosaunee, Mississauga Anishinaabe, and Huron-Wendat also have ancestral ties to the lands and waters of Eastern Lake Ontario. Today, the Tyendinaga Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and several Williams Treaty First Nations like Alderville First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Scugog Island First Nation and others practice their rights and steward the waters of Lake Ontario.
Establishing a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCAs), in a way that respects Indigenous rights, will help protect this area of Lake Ontario now and in the future, as well as be a step towards the federal government’s commitment to protect 30 percent of land and inland waters by 30×30.
You can help protect this vital landscape and all the species that dwell in it by sending a letter in support of the creation of an NMCA in Lake Ontario’s Eastern basin. Time is ticking. But our government won’t move on this without the support of nature lovers like you.
READ THE LETTER, add your name, show your support for establishing this much-needed NMCA and protect Lake Ontario’s biodiversity for generations to come.
Comments
