Ontario pledges more than $1M to clean up Lake Simcoe

Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (centre) spoke at Southshore Centre about funding projects to clean up Lake Simcoe. Nov. 9, 2023 (CTV NEWS BARRIE/Rob Cooper)

Projects aimed at keeping Lake Simcoe healthy come with a significant price tag.

To that end, Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, announced in Barrie today the province is investing over $1.3 million in four new multi-year projects to further reduce the amount of phosphorus entering Lake Simcoe.

These projects will help the government and its partners continue to build on the significant progress made to protect and restore Lake Simcoe.

“Over the years, we have witnessed substantial progress in the efforts to protect Lake Simcoe, and the work continues. This investment reflects the dedication to the ecological health of the lake and the prosperity of the communities that depend on it,” said Rob Baldwin, CAO of Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.

Some of the signs of recovery in the Lake Simcoe watershed include a 50 per cent reduction in phosphorus from sewage treatment plants entering the watershed, decreased amounts of algae in the lake and successful reproduction of cold-water fish such as lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to know that our collective efforts are having a positive impact on the health of Lake Simcoe – a lake and region so many of us, including myself, are proud to call home,” said Khanjin.

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Since 2018, the Ontario government has committed more than $27.3 million to protect and restore Lake Simcoe, including a $24 million investment for a new phosphorus recycling project to help reduce phosphorus discharges from the Holland River into Lake Simcoe. These investments are part of the province’s commitment to implement the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan.

“Protecting the water in this area is of vital importance, not only to those who choose to live near our beautiful waterfront but for the future of all,” said Barrie – Springwater - Oro-Medonte MPP Doug Downey.

“Our natural resources are a great draw to this region, and it is our duty to safeguard those resources for future generations. Ensuring the increased protections of Lake Simcoe, and the reduction of phosphorus, will continue the good work that has already seen incredible results, including a reduction of algae and a stable population of lake trout,” Downey said.

This year, most of the funded projects are led by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and local partners. These include:

• Water sampling and analysis to monitor phosphorus and other nutrients flowing into Lake Simcoe. This information will be used to help determine which future actions can be taken to improve the lake’s overall health.
• A study of chemicals and metals in the water and sediment that could harm the lake. This research can help identify new threats to the watershed as well as ways to protect it, now and over the long term.
• Creating wetlands and ponds, restoring streams, building channels and planting grasses to better manage stormwater in Innisfil, Newmarket and Oro-Medonte. These projects will help landowners and municipalities lower the pollution going into Lake Simcoe from urban areas.