A Tale of Three Cities, Swim Drink Fish Releases 2021 Water Monitoring Reports.

From Vancouver, Toronto and Kingston we celebrate World Oceans Day, with the release of our Community Monitoring Reports, because all waters are ocean waters.

Photo by Luc Tribolet

June 8th marks World Oceans Day. A day to celebrate, reflect, and act on protecting and restoring oceans. Action comes in many forms. It might be a shoreline cleanup, or a mass swim in your community. Maybe you gather at city hall to demand action, or dip your toes in the water to remind yourself how precious water is.

One thing that we’re thankful for is the movement of people working to create access to swimmable, drinkable, fishable water for everyone. 

That’s why World Oceans Day is so special in the Swim Drink Fish community. As our community is tirelessly working from coast-to-coast-to-coast in protecting our greatest resource. 

On World Oceans Day 2022, in three cities across Canada Swim Drink Fish will be holding events to celebrate the work of so many.

In Vancouver, political action is defining this day. Our Vancouver team is part of a special day for the city, the official unveiling of a proclamation announcing 2022 The Year of Salish Sea. Fittingly, it coincides with a motion tabled Making Vancouver Swimmable.

The Gord Edgar Downie Pier in Kingston, Ontario

In Kingston, we’ll gather to share stories of a waterfront that was once industrial and an example of alienation, but has been resurrected as the gold standard of what it looks like when a city connects its community to the water again.

In Toronto, we ask for transparency and action. Like Kingston once was, Toronto is alienated from its waterfront. It lacks the political will of its leaders to take down the no swimming signs and open its eyes to what the people want: swimmable water. 

At all three of these events, we’ll release the findings from our community-based Monitoring Reports for 2021. Each comes with its own recommendations for each city. Because as much as Kingston and Vancouver are leading the way, there is always more to be done. 

These reports will highlight the tale of three cities in different stages of progress when it comes to creating swimmable, drinkable, fishable water for everyone. We are focus on recreational water quality, because we see it as the stepping stone for connection, which is the catalyst for protection and restoration. Everything starts with connection. 

So, what are these tales of three cities?

Vancouver:

The work done by Swim Drink Fish and its partners is being celebrated on World Oceans Day with the City’s Making Vancouver Swimmable motion, and proclamation that this is The Year of the Salish Sea. In the past year the area of Olympic Village saw improving water quality, while it was evident that in the autumn season heavy rainfall was a direct cause of failing water quality results, more reason for real-time monitoring of all combined sewer outfalls. It was also a year of collaboration as Swim Drink Fish sat on Metro Vancouver’s Liquid Waste Management Plan committee and the City of Vancouver’s Healthy Waters Plan committee.

Kingston: 

The excellent results from the first two years of monitoring underscore the work that Kingston has already done to improve their waters. Through continued monitoring work, community outreach and collaboration efforts we hope the hub can support the vibrant recreational water community of Kingston and continue to define what it means to be a city connected to their water.

Toronto:

This is a watershed moment for Toronto. It can either embrace its people and their new-found identity as a city connected to water, or remain stagnant. As other Canadian cities implement tangible measures, such as adopting real-time sewage monitoring, creating swimmable and well monitored waters, and working to inform its community members of water quality issues, Canada’s largest city lags behind. We encourage the City of Toronto to join us in supporting our vibrant community of recreational water users and protecting the waters we all care about.

All three reports cultivate the same message in their recommendations: Swimmable Water.

Kingston has achieved this, Vancouver is well on its way, while Toronto has to decide if its leaders have the political will to put its people first. 

The road map is clear. It takes a movement of people to achieve swimmable waters, so this World Oceans Day, we celebrate all of you across Canada, because all waters are ocean waters.