Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu at Lakehead University Announcement - CJ Goater

The Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu was in Thunder Bay on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guillbeault to announce funding coming to the city.

6 projects in the area aimed at restoring water quality and ecosystem health are receiving $633,500 in combined funding from the federal government as part of the freshwater action plan.

Thunder Bay is receiving the funding as the city is one of seven remaining Great Lakes Areas of Concern left north of the border.

Great Lakes Areas of Concern – Via Government of Canada

Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu explained two of the projects will be led by Lakehead University., “One project aims to restore riparian and coastal habitat for fish and wildlife in the Thunder Bay area of concern. It’s going to build structures to filter stormwater running into Lake Superior, and create new coastal habitats on the shores of Thunder Bay.”

Hadju added, “The other project will help communities engage in the cleanup of areas of concern in Thunder Bay, Nipigon Bay, Jackfish Bay, and Penninsula Harbour.”

Fort Williams First Nation is also leading one of the projects to naturalize and stabilize shoreline habitat by planting trees and shrubs in the Grand Point and Kaministiquia River areas.

There were other projects that were touched upon in the announcement most notably the North Shore Steelhead Association which will look to make modifications to the Current River Fishway.