The Ontario government is investing nearly $3 million in 26 community-led projects across the province to build cleaner, healthier communities and strong local economies.
The funding marks the largest round in the Ontario Community Environment Fund’s history and delivers on the government’s plan to protect Ontario by using penalties paid by polluters to fund projects that protect the province’s land, air and water, such as shoreline cleanups, habitat restoration and tree planting.
“Our government is proud to support community-led projects that deliver real environmental benefits where people live, work and raise their families,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “Companies that break Ontario’s environmental rules are held accountable for it, and by putting that money back to work, we can empower our local partners with the resources they need to support their communities, protect our shared environment, and ensure Ontario’s natural spaces can be cherished for generations to come.”
Among the 26 projects receiving funding this year is the Invasive Species Centre, which is getting nearly $286,000 for its Hillman Marsh Invasive Species Response, aimed at eradicating invasive hydrilla in the Hillman Marsh in Leamington through treatment, monitoring and outreach. The Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association is receiving $120,000 to restore riverbanks and improve fish habitat along the Mindemoya River. The Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail is getting $25,000 to revitalize degraded trail sections by removing invasive species and planting native vegetation, while Freshwater Conservation Canada is receiving more than $86,000 to restore habitat for native brook trout populations on Mono Centre Creek.
Since 2010, the Ontario Community Environment Fund has invested more than $6.74 million from environmental penalties into 134 projects across the province, engaging volunteers in over 29,000 hours of activities such as planting more than 829,000 trees, shrubs and plants, restoring more than 55 kilometres of shoreline and 1,597 acres of land, and collecting more than 2,000 bags of litter.
For this funding round, more than $1.6 million was available in Southwestern Ontario, more than $721,000 in West Central Ontario, and more than $585,000 in Northern Ontario. The fund draws on money collected through environmental penalties issued to facilities in nine industrial sectors and specific landfilling sites when certain violations occur.
“Protecting Ontario’s natural environment is a priority for our government. This investment will support the rapid response to the first detection of hydrilla in Canada, helping protect Hillman Marsh, the Great Lakes, and the ecosystems that are so important to our communities. Our government supports initiatives that preserve our natural environment for future generations,” said Trevor Jones, MPP for Chatham-Kent—Leamington.
