Sault Ste. Marie officially applies to be home of the Canada Water Agency
This past week, representatives from the Sault officially applied to become the site of the Canada Water Agency.
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said he is confident the city's bid will be successful.
“We’re located right here in the middle of the Great Lakes on the gathering place between Lake Huron and Lake Superior and a short drive or short boat ride away in some cases from Lake Michigan,” Shoemaker said.
“When you think water in Canada, freshwater specifically, Sault Ste. Marie is at the heart of it all.”
A task force was created to help the city’s efforts. Elaine Ho-Tassone, Nordik Institute’s director of operations, is on that team.
Ho-Tassone said having a northern Ontario point of view could prove beneficial for discussions on water throughout the province and country.
“A lot of the issues start or are reflected upstream, we just don’t look at it that way,” she said.
“We look at ‘well what’s happening down in the bottom and how do we address that?’ Without thinking about what’s happening further up and what are the policies and practices and cultures that go into that without recognizing that.”
It’s not known at this point if the federal government will choose one, or multiple locations for the Canada Water Agency.
Ward 5 Coun. Corey Gardi said even if a regional approach is taken, being selected would still be a win for the city.
"It would mean the Sault capitalizing on opportunities provided by a changing climate and the importance of studying its impacts," Gardi said.
Shoemaker said adding another government agency makes sense based on those already located in the Sault.
“We’ve got world-class research facilities here already,” he said.
“We’ve got the Invasive Species Centre. We’ve got the Great Lakes Forest Research Centre and the Ontario Forest Research Institute. Across the river at Lake State we’ve got the American Freshwater Research Centre.”
Current partnerships could also prove helpful, said Ho-Tassone, whether it be with American agencies or Indigenous groups.
“Being able to bring together many First Nations and indigenous communities, which we have that ability, is something that can become a legacy project,” she said.
“A legacy impact for this agency, for the government, for just the way we have our relationships with each other moving forward.”
A decision on locations for the Agency is reportedly imminent. Ho-Tassone said it could happen before the end of the year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Canadian government proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.