Repentigny – On World Water Day, Canada joins many other countries in highlighting the importance of protecting and conserving our freshwater heritage. Canada is home to 20 percent of the world’s freshwater reserves. Healthy lakes and rivers are essential to Canadians, communities, and businesses across the country.
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced over $800,000 in funding for new projects and ongoing initiatives under the Community Interaction Program. As part of the St. Lawrence Action Plan 2011–2026, the Community Interaction Program supports community projects aimed at conserving biodiversity, promoting sustainability, and improving water quality in the St. Lawrence River. Investing in these community-based freshwater projects will result in measurable, positive environmental outcomes that will benefit Canada’s future generations in the long term.
The beneficiaries who will receive funding include the following:
- The Comité ZIP des Seigneuries has received $200,000 to carry out removal and shrub‑planting activities to counter the Common Water Reed, an invasive alien plant present on Île-Lebel, Repentigny.
- The Comité ZIP du Haut-Saint-Laurent has received $97,000 to carry out invasive alien plant control, as well as restoration and revegetation activities, to improve marsh water quality and protect biodiversity on Île-Perrot.
- The Abenaki Council of Odanak has received over $75,000 to carry out the second phase of a project to build a stream with the aim of raising the water level, improving the circulation of Yellow Perch and increasing the size of its habitat.
The Community Interaction Program is jointly administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Quebec’s Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (Ministry of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, and Wildlife and Parks).
The Canada Water Agency implements Canada’s Freshwater Action Plan, which supports targeted regional actions to protect Canada’s freshwater bodies of national significance, including the St. Lawrence River.
The call for applications for the Community Interaction Program is now open. Interested organizations have until April 10, 2024, to submit their proposals. For more information on how to apply or eligibility criteria, please visit the St. Lawrence Action Plan website.
“The St. Lawrence is at the heart of the social, economic, and cultural life of Quebecers, and it is their main source of drinking water. Its unique ecosystem and habitats remind us of the importance of supporting community projects to preserve biodiversity and protect fresh water in Canada. Thanks to the Community Interaction Program, communities, partners, and stakeholders are taking concrete action toward a common goal: improving the St. Lawrence ecosystem. This collaboration makes it possible to carry out sustainable, measurable projects now, and in the longer term.” – Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change