On the morning of January 12th Ontario residents received an Amber Alert from the provincial government noting that ‘an incident’ had occurred at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS). The province later explained that the alert was issued in error and related to a training exercise (rather than an actual event). We believe the incident has underscored larger systemic and province-wide problems with public communication and transparency in the nuclear sector. Now is an opportunity…

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Image: Zach Ruiter BWXT Nuclear Energy’s facility in Toronto near Lansdowne and Dupont, converts raw uranium powder into fuel pellets. These fuel pellets are used in nuclear generating stations, including stations in Ontario.BWXT is applying to renew its Class IB fuel facility operating licence for 10 years. The licence covers operations in Toronto and Peterborough. (Note: these facilities were once GE facilities. BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. acquired GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. in…

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Lake Ontario Waterkeeper is all about connecting people with water. Over the course of our 18 year history, we have had many successes getting waterfronts cleaned up and reopened to the public. Perhaps the best example is the opening of the Gord Edgar Downie Pier in Kingston, ON. This pier is Canada’s first urban natural swimming pier. The very first step towards swimmable, drinkable, fishable water has always been testing the water.  We have routinely tested…

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Dear Friends,This is the first time the senior leadership team at Swim Drink Fish has penned a joint letter to the entire movement. We commonly write to request a donation this time of year, but this joint letter is an unusual step. Here’s why we’re doing it. We live in a time of great change and uncertainty. News headlines warn of global changes that threaten air, water, land, and the diversity of natural life that…

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Lake Ontario Waterkeeper has been closely following the massive sewage spill in Chedoke Creek since it was first reported. We were very dismayed to read about the four-year-long sewage leak into Coote’s Paradise and the lack of transparency with the public. It was announced that the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has launched an investigation into the spill. We look forward to hearing the results of that process. You can also read Waterkeeper Mark Mattson’s…

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Mark Mattson tests an outfall on the Humber River for E. coli bacteria during an interview with The Globe & Mail, circa 2002. Last week I sat down with Mark Mattson, President of Swim Drink Fish and the Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, to get more insight into how the organization protects water.  I have been working here for five months as part of the Toronto water quality monitoring team. This summer I went down to the…

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Lake Ontario Waterkeeper recently submitted written comments on the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health 2020. The Great Lakes are important to people in Ontario, Canada, and the US, so both the federal and provincial governments have obligations to protect them. The Canada Ontario Agreement is the document that explains how those two governments work together to fulfil obligations in this country. We recognize the commitments Ontario and Canada are both…

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The Gord Edgar Downie Pier opened to the public in Kingston in 2018. This unique swimming pier was part of a multi-million dollar restoration project at Breakwater Park spearheaded by the City of Kingston. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper’s parent organization, Swim Drink Fish, worked with The W. Garfield Weston Foundation to secure funds to support the creation of the pier and protect the shoreline. Rob Baker, guitarist with The Tragically Hip and Kingstonian, helped us create…

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People are already drawn to the water at Ontario Place. Why not embrace their connection to the water? In a city where people often live for years not realizing how close they are to Lake Ontario, a growing community of people have started to embrace a hidden gem at Ontario Place. On Saturday, August 10th we joined representatives from groups like Park People, Ontario Place For All, Surf The Greats, Environmental Defence and unaffiliated area…

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The southwest beach of Ontario Place. Friends,On Saturday, August 10 at 2:00pm on the southwest end of Ontario Place a few people interested in water access in Toronto are gathering to view and discuss the potential for a new swimming access point at Ontario Place. This is a fun, informal gathering for the people and organizations who want to dream together about restoring swimming access to Ontario Place. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper has been sampling the area and posting results to Swim Guide each week…

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