Lake Huron Forever awards grants to stormwater projects in Ontario [Georgian Bluffs, ON]

 

The Lake Huron Forever initiative was developed in 2019 by shoreline community foundation conservation partners from the United States and Canada to advance water quality protection and healthy sustainable communities on both sides of the lake. Facilitated by Northeast Michigan conservation nonprofit Huron Pines, the Lake Huron partners — Bay Area Community Foundation, Community Foundation Grey Bruce, Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network have convened around an action agenda that encompasses the goal of granting to on-the-ground projects supporting nature-based solutions to stormwater management on both sides of the border.

 

Lake Huron Forever and its Ontario partners are pleased to announce four grants to regional environmental projects, made possible by the generous support of Bruce Power, which invests $2 million annually into non-profit organizations that positively impact the environment, community, Indigenous peoples, and health care.

 

These four Ontario projects supported by the Lake Huron Forever program can kickstart community conversations and actions to design and complete on-the-ground work to strengthen the health and well-being of residents, as well as our natural resources. By focusing on the residents and the resources, Lake Huron Forever aims to integrate Great Lakes stewardship into all aspects of coastal community life.

 

Four Michigan projects were also awarded similar grants for stormwater management & nature-based solutions in this round, funded by The Consumers Energy Foundation, to Alcona Community Schools, NEMIGLSI, the city of Bay City and to Michigan State University Extension. Funding projects simultaneously in Michigan and Ontario is unique but intuitive, given the shared watershed, and helps to unite communities and organizations toward resilience.

 

In Ontario, grants were allocated to four applicants during two separate intake windows facilitated by The Sustainability Project. Funding will arrive to the projects in time for their spring activities.

 

“With the help of so many partners and volunteers, we’re happy to have helped identify projects in the region that use nature-based solutions to stormwater management to increase our landscape’s resilience to climate change,” says Leigh Grigg from The Sustainability Project, a partner in the international alliance.

 

The successful projects in Ontario combine a mix of educational and in-the-ground activities.

 

“Green Ribbon Champion” Coastal Stewardship & Education Program - Lake Huron Coastal Centre. The program will be providing advice, support, and resources to shoreline residents, and also recognizes landowners that have made exceptional contributions to shoreline health. The project will also put on a series of workshops, site visits, and restoration events.

 

Schoolyard Stormwater Bioswale - Stewardship Grey Bruce. The project will establish an educational raingarden & bioswale, alongside tree planting as part of a Tiny (Miyawaki) Forest at Peninsula Shores District School in Wiarton. Workshops will involve students in the bioswale design and selection of appropriate native plants, and will also talk about stormwater management.

 

Healthy Soil, Healthy Water - Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (GSCA). This project will assist and advise landowners on using permanent cover as an invaluable tool across GSCA’s watershed, seeing as a severely erodible landscape has the potential to negatively impact Lake Huron’s water quality. With the grant, GSCA will now be able to add an additional 200 acres to their Cover Crop initiative.

 

Kagawong River Stream Restoration - Manitoulin Streams. The site restoration will also help initialize nature-based solution adaptations in the community to aid in climate change resilience to support the municipality’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan, and provide opportunities for the public to become engaged with these shared natural spaces.

 

“Bruce Power is committed to strengthening our communities, protecting our environment and enhancing a clean, safe and sustainable way of life for present and future generations,” said Mike Rinker, Bruce Power’s Vice President, Regulatory, Environment and Sustainability. “We are excited to partner with Lake Huron Forever to support these important initiatives that help to protect and enhance the health of Lake Huron, its surrounding ecosystems, and the communities which depend on it.”

 

To learn more about Lake Huron Forever, the action agenda, and the upcoming One Water Gathering conference in Grand Bend, please visit www.lakehuronforever.org.

 

About us

 

The Sustainability Project, formerly known as Grey Bruce Sustainability Network, brings together community members who reside in this region, the Traditional Territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, who are dedicated to creating a culture of sustainability. Community Foundation Grey Bruce has a mandate to enhance community vitality by fostering open discussion about local need, sharing knowledge, and growing endowments to provide strategic granting and support to a wide range of non-profit organizations. Lake Huron Coastal Centre is a non-government charitable organization established in 1998 with the goals of protecting and restoring Lake Huron's coastal environment, and supporting a healthy coastal ecosystem through education, restoration, and research projects.

 

For more information and/or interviews, please contact Leigh Grigg, The Sustainability Project

519 270 8041

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