Mayors, Anishinabek Nation Call for Stricter Rules in Great Lakes Withdrawals

Canadian and United States mayors from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and Anishinabek Nation leadership have joined together to call for stricter rules for any new water withdrawals from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence.

They are asking the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Water Resources Council (Compact Council) and Regional Body to reconsider and defer the adoption of proposed changes to the procedures for reviewing requests for water withdrawals. The concerned parties noted the particular importance of doing so now with several newly elected Governors and Premiers in the region that have not yet had an opportunity to review the rules regarding withdrawals.

“Today, the Anishinabek Nation leadership is seeking to ensure that the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River are subject to stronger rules and improved accommodation and recognition of Anishinabek inherent rights, Aboriginal, and treaty rights where there is an interest within the scope of the Compact Council and Regional Body on water withdrawal,” said Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Glen Hare.

“Water is the Lifeblood of Mother Earth — we must do what we can to protect it.”

The mayors and the Anishinabek Nation entered a process of good faith discussions with the Compact Council through the last 14 months to improve the procedures and found the results disappointing. During the review period, the mayors and the Anishinabek Nation have said they sought to work collaboratively with the Compact Council and advised the Compact Council of several critical flaws contained in the existing procedures.

“As mayors in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence region, we demand stronger rules on new water withdrawals and the Compact Council’s proposed revisions need to be improved,” said Mayor of Collingwood, Ontario, Sandra Cooper, chair of the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Cities Initiative.

The parties said that the Compact Council ignored many of the concerns of the mayors, the Anishinabek Nation, and other concerned stakeholders in the Great Lakes region. Instead, they said, the Compact Council is seeking to push through revisions at their next meeting.

The mayors and the Anishinabek Nation shared two main […]

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