Public Concern Expressed at IJC Watershed Board Meetings
A vocal and engaged audience of Foundation supporters and LOWDPOA members packed the room in Kenora on August 10, to meet with the IJC Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board and with IJC Commissioners and staff advisors. The meeting focused on an update from the Board on activities during the year on water levels, public engagement, and water quality and ecosystem health.
During a session planned for an update on the IJC Water Quality Plan of Study, representatives from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Global Affairs Canada were invited to explain the announcement made by Canada, to assigning the $5.5 million earmarked for Lake of the Woods in the March 2016 Federal Budget to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) for studies in the Canadian portion of the Lake of the Woods basin, rather than to the IJC for the IJC water quality plan of study.
Dr. Véronique P. Hiriart-Baer of ECCC presented a draft ECCC science plan — there were numerous questions and concerns voiced by the public about this plan for governments to develop their own binational science plan, rather than through the IJC Plan of Study, that sent clear messages to the representatives of representatives from the Government of Canada who attended the meeting.