• Ontario and Canada Celebrate Successful Restoration of Nipigon Bay

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
  Date: 2026-08-28 19:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Environment, Climate, Indigenous, Fisheries]

  The Governments of Ontario and Canada have officially removed Nipigon Bay from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern after nearly 40 years of cleanup work under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health. The restoration efforts—which included upgraded wastewater treatment in the Township of Nipigon and Township of Red Rock, stricter pulp and paper industry regulations, and aquatic habitat rehabilitation—spanned a nearly 50,000-acre area including the lower Nipigon River. Since the late 1980s, the Government of Ontario has invested nearly $25.5 million (including over $17 million since 2018), while the federal government has contributed more than $12 million since 2012 alongside total partner investments of $68 million. The milestone project was achieved through collaborative efforts involving local partners and First Nations, including the Red Rock Indian Band, Lakehead University, and local community groups.

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• Protecting Chinook salmon in Bessette Creek with temporary order

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-28 19:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Environment, Water, Agriculture, Fisheries]

  Effective August 28, 2026, the Government of British Columbia issued a fish population protection order under the Water Sustainability Act for the Bessette Creek watershed in the Thompson Okanagan region due to persistent severe drought and record-low streamflows. The temporary order halts water use for 131 surface-water and groundwater licence holders and transitioning users engaged in forage crop irrigation, crop harvesting, processing ore, and other water-intensive industrial activities to protect endangered Chinook salmon. The Province offers support through the Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program—which has invested $120 million since 2023 across more than 700 producer projects—alongside the $285.5-million B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund.

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