Swim Drink Fish Blog

Read the latest updates and news releases about community science, water monitoring, Artists for Water, and more.

Paddlefest attendees rally behind the Watermark Project
Melanie Edmond Melanie Edmond

Paddlefest attendees rally behind the Watermark Project

Waterkeeper attended MEC Paddlefest 2017 this past weekend to talk about water quality and rec water use. People's desire to do their part to protect the lake became a dominant theme, and it was the Watermark Project that became the answer. Paddlefest attendees rallied behind the Watermark Project as a means to do their part to protect our waters.  

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Toronto Island Lake Swim: Perfect time to get your feet wet
Ruby Pajares Ruby Pajares

Toronto Island Lake Swim: Perfect time to get your feet wet

One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to help protect your watershed is to simply experience it. Jump in the lake and connect with it. It’s no surprise that when we found out about Toronto Island local, Kathleen McDonnell – who swam in the lake every day for a year, all 365 days – we had to get in touch with her.

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Marilyn Bell DiLascio reacts to recent discovery of sewage debris in Lake Ontario
Toronto Sewage Bypasses Marilyn Bell Toronto Sewage Bypasses Marilyn Bell

Marilyn Bell DiLascio reacts to recent discovery of sewage debris in Lake Ontario

Traveling by boat on July 8, 2016, Waterkeeper Mark Mattson arrived in Toronto and spotted a 2km stretch of waste floating in the lake, just off of Ashbridges Bay. When we posted the images and videos online, many people were shocked – one of who was famed open water swimmer, Marilyn Bell. As Lake Ontario’s first “Swim Drink Fish Ambassador,” Marilyn was quick to lend her voice for the lake that has a big place in her heart. Here’s her message.

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Waterkeeper’s preliminary comments on the Scarborough Waterfront Project
Claire Lawson Claire Lawson

Waterkeeper’s preliminary comments on the Scarborough Waterfront Project

The Scarborough Waterfront Project (“SWP”) is a proposal to build an 11-km shoreline pathway along the stretch of Bluffs lining Lake Ontario. Because this is the first phase of the assessment process, Waterkeeper’s comments are focused on the overarching purpose and direction of the project. 

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Waterkeeper's comments on Scarborough Waterfront Project
Posted by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper Posted by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper

Waterkeeper's comments on Scarborough Waterfront Project

Today is the deadline for submitting initial comments on the proposed Scarborough Waterfront Project. Waterkeeper has studied the proposal and submitted some preliminary concerns. This project will shape the future of an important section of Toronto’s shoreline, so we have expressed a desire to take part in the stakeholder consultations planned for later this year. 

 

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Why it's time to invest in Canada's love for water
Toronto Sewage Bypasses Guest User Toronto Sewage Bypasses Guest User

Why it's time to invest in Canada's love for water

Canadians love water. Our culture and our history can prove it. So how is it that Canada is also one of the dirtiest countries in the industrialized world? How have we fallen to dead-last amongst the world’s wealthiest countries when it comes to environmental protection? This question is at the heart of all Waterkeeper’s work right now. How can we reconcile what we say we love – water, nature, being outdoors with friends and family – with how we actually live?

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Toronto Island Lake Swim 2015: Celebrating a Swimmable Toronto
Guest User Guest User

Toronto Island Lake Swim 2015: Celebrating a Swimmable Toronto

Lake Ontario’s waters were so polluted in the 1950s and 1960s that it consistently made people ill. That's no secret. But water quality is like the weather – it constantly changes. And to help break the stigma that Toronto’s waters are unswimmable, an enticing opportunity was created for Torontonians to get them back in the water.

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