October 11, 2017TORONTO, ON - Lake Ontario Waterkeeper’s 2nd Annual Toronto Harbour Report launched on Wednesday to a crowd of volunteers, donors and community stakeholders.The report summarized Waterkeeper’s findings and offers recommendations that will help to protect Toronto Harbour and water users. It highlighted the continued problem with raw sewage pollution from Toronto’s combined sewage outflows within the inner harbour. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper also discussed how the findings from this year’s volunteer sampling has been…

Continue reading

October 11, 2017TORONTO, ON - Lake Ontario Waterkeeper’s 2nd Annual Toronto Harbour Report launched on Wednesday to a crowd of volunteers, donors and community stakeholders.The report summarized Waterkeeper’s findings and offers recommendations that will help to protect Toronto Harbour and water users. It highlighted the continued problem with raw sewage pollution from Toronto’s combined sewage outflows within the inner harbour. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper also discussed how the findings from this year’s volunteer sampling has been…

Continue reading

BackgroundSWIM DRINK FISH CANADA is a growing charity working for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future. Our programs bring together law, science, culture, and digital media in order to connect and empower people to restore polluted places, protect human health, and promote thriving natural spaces.In 2011, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper built and launched Swim Guide (www.theswimguide.org).  Swim Guide is a smartphone app that shows you your closest beaches and tells you whether or not the water is…

Continue reading

Fletcher's Creek, Brampton. To the left you'll see natural-looking water. To the right, black substance coming out of pipe and into the creek.  On September 20, a mysterious black substance spilled out of a storm drain and into a section of Fletcher’s Creek in Brampton. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper happened to be on hand both the day of the spill and before, filming restoration work on the creek, which just so happens to be home to…

Continue reading

Fletcher's Creek, Brampton. To the left you'll see natural-looking water. To the right, black substance coming out of pipe and into the creek.  On September 20, a mysterious black substance spilled out of a storm drain and into a section of Fletcher’s Creek in Brampton. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper happened to be on hand both the day of the spill and before, filming restoration work on the creek. The creek just so happens to be home…

Continue reading

Krystyn Tully speaking prior to a shoreline cleanup and water sampling excursion at Humber Bay Park West.  An open letter to my city:Toronto, I love you, but you’re bringing me down.Perched on the shore of a sparkling blue lake and lined with ravines and parks, your place in this world promises so much.And yet.Your greatness as a city doesn’t quite live up to the greatness of your place. You—we—could be so much more.In the local…

Continue reading

Krystyn Tully speaking prior to a shoreline cleanup and water sampling excursion at Humber Bay Park West.  An open letter to my city:Toronto, I love you, but you’re bringing me down.Perched on the shore of a sparkling blue lake and lined with ravines and parks, your place in this world promises so much.And yet.Your greatness as a city doesn’t quite live up to the greatness of your place. You—we—could be so much more.In the local…

Continue reading

The aesthetics of Toronto's waterfront is supposedly fine. Waterkeeper disagrees with this assessment. Above is a common sight in the Inner Harbour (July 21, 2017, Rees St. Slip).  The Toronto and Region Remedial Action Plan (Toronto RAP) team recently released a report entitled BUI Status Re-Designation Report: Degradation of Aesthetics.The report suggests that Toronto’s waters are now “free from persistent objectionable unnatural deposit, unnatural colour, objectionable odour, or unnatural turbidity (e.g., oil slick or surface…

Continue reading

Photos: Lake Ontario Waterkeeper Special Coverage: Unknown Black Spill in Fletcher's Creek Threatens Redside Dace HabitatWednesday September 20, 2017Toronto Star - Ainslie CruickshankUnknown black substance threatens endangered minnow habitatThursday September 21, 2017CBC - Greg RossMysterious black sludge in Fletcher's Creek could devastate endangered fishBrampton Guardian - Pam DouglasMysterious sludge pours into Fletcher's Creek in BramptonFriday September 22, 2017Brampton Guardian - Pam DouglasSLUDGE VIDEO: Mystery sludge that poured into Fletcher's Creek could be identified by next weekUnknown…

Continue reading

Photos: Lake Ontario Waterkeeper Special Coverage: Unknown Black Spill in Fletcher's Creek Threatens Redside Dace HabitatWednesday September 20, 2017Toronto Star - Ainslie CruickshankUnknown black substance threatens endangered minnow habitatThursday September 21, 2017CBC - Greg RossMysterious black sludge in Fletcher's Creek could devastate endangered fishBrampton Guardian - Pam DouglasMysterious sludge pours into Fletcher's Creek in BramptonFriday September 22, 2017Brampton Guardian - Pam DouglasSLUDGE VIDEO: Mystery sludge that poured into Fletcher's Creek could be identified by next weekUnknown…

Continue reading