Hamilton public forum on Great Lakes a success!

Dec 6th, 2006 5:12 AM

Hamilton public forum on Great Lakes a Success! Pollution Probe and Ontario's Environmental Commissioner hear from enthusiastic residents on how best to protect the Great Lakes (Hamilton, ON, December 6, 2006) Last night, over 50 Hamilton residents met with Pollution Probe's Water Programme Director Rick Findlay and Ontario's Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller at Hamilton City Hall to offer their opinions on the future of the Great Lakes. Tuesday's event was the third in a series of four public forums being held in four cities across Ontario, designed to inform residents living in communities near the Great Lakes on the region's ecological sustainability and give them a chance to offer their opinions and ideas. Each forum is framed within a new Vision Statement on the Great Lakes* that Pollution Probe has helped to develop. Findlay said the discussion was constructive "because the environmental long term health of the Great Lakes extends into the social and economic side of our lives. If they are not properly understood and protected, unhealthy Great Lakes will have serious implications for the viability of the whole province." The event organizers were impressed by the output from the roundtable held earlier in the day and were pleased with the attendance of representatives of local industries, conservation groups and concerned citizens. Commissioner Miller was pleased with Hamilton's efforts at implementing a Great Lakes remedial action plan and commended the high level of knowledge, expertise and overall commitment and support from community members. Miller noted that, "other communities faced with the same challenges could learn a lot of from the lessons experienced here in Hamilton." For those who missed tonight's discussion, information about other dates and locations is available at www.pollutionprobe.org. The next public forum will be held on Thursday, December 7th, from 6 to 8pm at Thunder Bay City Hall, Council Chambers, 500 Donald Street East, Thunder Bay, Ontario. -30- For more information, please contact: Rick Findlay, Director, Water Programme, Pollution Probe, (613) 237-8666, cell: (613) 863-8081, rfindlay@pollutionprobe.org Dennis Draper, Office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, 416-325-0530, dennis.draper@eco.on.ca *Pollution Probe's Vision Statement can be found at http://www.pollutionprobe.org/Reports/greatlakesvision.pdf Pollution Probe is a Canadian environmental organization that defines environmental problems through research, promotes understanding through education and presses for practical solutions through advocacy. To accomplish this mission, they engage government agencies, private businesses and non-profit organizations to help find solutions. The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO) is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and is appointed to a five-year term. The Commissioner issues annual reports to the Assembly reviewing the government's compliance with the Environmental Bill of Rights.