'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
The federal government has committed $420 million in funding over 10 years to preserve and restore waters of the Great Lakes.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement Friday during the visit of United States President Joe Biden, who earmarked $1 billion over five years to improve those freshwater ecosystems in 2021.
"Our ongoing co-operation on issues such as trade, security and the environment reflects a strong commitment making life better for people on both sides of our shared border," Trudeau said in a release.
The money is to be focused on cleaning up a series of pollution hot spots. Three in Lake Superior and four in Lake Ontario are in Canadian waters, while another four are in waters shared by both countries. With three sites already remediated, it's part of the Canadian government's plan to clean up 12 of the 14 worst sites in the lakes by 2030.
Funding will also go to efforts to stop harmful algae blooms generated by agricultural run-off, as well as preventing harmful chemicals from entering those waters, which represent 20 per cent of world's surface freshwater and provide drinking water for 40 million people.
The government's goal is to reduce phosphorus going into Lake Erie from Canadian sources by more than 200 tonnes within 15 years.
Environmental groups on both sides of the border welcomed the announcement, but called it a down payment on what needs to be spent.
"It's a good first step," said Andrea Dube of Freshwater Future.
She said environmentalists have called for Canada to match the American funding.
"We're getting half of that, which is still significant. But in terms of what's at stake for Canada, it isn't enough."
She singled out algae blooms in Lake Erie and emerging toxins, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate, as areas where Canada needs to pay more attention.
Still, Mark Mattson of the group Swim Drink Fish said the funding quintuples Canada's environmental commitments to the Great Lakes.
"The announcement is really significant," he said in a release.
The funding was also welcomed south of the border.
"Commitments like these are a critical down payment in ensuring that the Great Lakes are brought back to health and can sustain a way of life for the millions of people who rely on them both in Canada and the United States," said a release from Joel Brammeier, president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes.
-- By Bob Weber in Edmonton
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2023.
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
The Edmonton Oilers will start Calvin Pickard in net Tuesday for Game 4 of their playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks.
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
The province has released more information on its plan to break up Alberta Health Services and replace it with four sector-based health agencies.
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.