Conservation Halton is getting some financial help.
Milton MP Adam van Koeverden held a small press conference at the Conservation Halton headquarters on Britannia Road in Burlington to announce that the Federal Government is providing up to $4.8 million in funding under the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk for five projects in Ontario.
With the announcement, Conservation Halton could receive up to $275,000 for its aquatic SAR outreach and habitat enhancements in its Watersheds. The project “focuses on performing outreach and engaging with landowners who own properties in Bronte Creek, Fourteen Mile Creek and Sixteen Mile Creek.”
The Chief Administrative Officer for Conservation Halton, Hassaan Basit, says the funding will allow them to take care of local endangered wildlife.
During the announcement, van Koeverden stressed that more needs to be done on local issues. He says it’s great to focus on “polar bears and the rainforests,” but there are environmental issues happening in our own backyards that need to be addressed.
“[Thursday’s] announcement reaffirms this government’s commitment to preserving and protecting Canada’s rich biodiversity, and I’m so proud that we continue to prioritize the conservation of this country’s natural beauty. Halton is home to a number of aquatic species at risk, and this funding will help support the vital work that the Conservation Halton Foundation does to preserve and rebuild their fragile ecosystems – ensuring that my friends and neighbours in the community can enjoy and learn about these species for years to come.”
Basit commends van Koeverden for his passion to protect our waters.
The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, issued a statement with the announcement, saying that protecting and recovering species at risk is a shared responsibility.
“Through the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, the Government of Canada is partnering with the University of Toronto Scarborough, St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, and the Conservation Halton Foundation.”
Milton Ward 3 Councillors Rick di Lorenzo and Mike Cluett attended the announcement. Both are on the Board for Conservation Halton. Councillor Cluett says the announcement is very important for our local ecosystem.
The Government of Canada established the $1.3 billion Nature Legacy Initiative in Budget 2018. The five-year, $55 million Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk supports a new approach to the conservation of aquatic species through targeted federal investments in priority places and to address priority threats to aquatic species at risk. The Fund makes it possible to support protection and recovery efforts by many partners and support Indigenous capacity to conserve aquatic ecosystems and species.
