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
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.