5Ontario's Great Lakes Protection Act
"The Great Lakes Protection Act is a catalyst for change, and we welcome it. Protecting beaches, cleaning up harbours, halting pollution, and improving drinking water standards will benefit businesses and individuals on both sides of the border. Ontario should be applauded for recognizing that people need Great Lakes where every person can safely go to a beach, drink from a tap, or catch a fish." – Mark Mattson, President, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
On October 7, 2015, Ontario officially passed the Great Lakes Protection Act. It took three versions of the bill and three years to make it through the legislative process. Now that it has passed, Ontario becomes the first province in Canada with a legal mandate to promote "swimmable, drinkable, fishable" waters.
The new law means that Ontario will have to report regularly on its efforts to protect the Great Lakes. It complements other provincial laws, which prohibit pollution or habitat destruction, by making it easier for government bodies to work together to protect the lakes.