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
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.