Beachway Park and the Royal Botanical Garden’s work at Cootes Paradise will both be receiving funding
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Julue Dabrusin has announced that the federal government will be investing around $9.3 million in Great Lakes projects to address environmental challenges, including more than $1 million invested in Burlington.
The Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) will be receiving around $150,000 of the investment to continue their ongoing efforts to increase biodiversity and resilience in the Cootes Paradise Marsh. The RBG is currently working on a fishway that allows native fish to move in and out of Cootes Paradise while keeping invasive species out.
The Region of Halton will also be receiving around $995,000 to clean and restore two kilometres of Beachway Park’s shoreline and dune ecosystems, which have been part of BurlingtonGreen’s restoration projects for several years.
“Protecting and rehabilitating our freshwater is vital for both our environmental and human health,” MP Karina Gould said in a press release. “Our community sits on the shores of Lake Ontario. The projects supported today are vital for the viability, protection and sustainability of our freshwater resources locally. We must continue to prioritize freshwater stewardship today and for generations to come.”
The funding will be distributed over the next four years across more than 25 freshwater projects in the Great Lakes area.
Related story: Ecologists helping native fish migrate at Royal Botanical Gardens Fishway