On January 7, the federal government announced $29 million for Ontario's Lake Simcoe and south eastern Georgian Bay. We, along with others concerned about Lake Simcoe's health, welcome this news. Conservation authorities and environmental restoration groups often have projects planned, waiting for funding. And thanks to...

Ontario's coldwater fish aren't singing along to Hot Fun in the Summertime these days. That's because as water temperatures increase due to global warming, the mix of fish species is changing. Warm water fish, like small mouth bass, are doing better. Coldwater fish, like pike and lake trout,...

If you are among the throngs of people heading to Ontario's cottage country, you will have hours stuck in traffic to crave a cool swim and also ponder the importance of our Great Lakes. We count on clean water when we go swimming, sailing, and have a drink. And we...

Environmental NGOs in Ontario are hoping to make a promised new provincial law to protect the Great Lakes as strong as possible. The Great Lakes Protection Act, promised in the Premier's 2011 Throne Speech, is a big deal. And why not? The drinking water of 37 million people depends on...

There are new rules for growth in Simcoe County. On January 19 the Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure enacted Amendment #1 to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, also known as the Simcoe Sub-area Amendment. The Amendment is hailed as a win for developers and the County,...

Lake Simcoe is a beautiful lake, with rich Southern Ontario First Nations and rural settler history. It is the most intensively fished lake in North America, and therefore, I suspect the most loved by anglers. And, it has certainly stolen the hearts of the owners of 12,000 cottages that dot...

We have the luckiest lake in Ontario, but we'll need to work hard for our luck to continue. Lake Simcoe's water quality has improved since the 1990s due to a huge amount of work and restoration. But we are no longer seeing much in the way of improvement. We have...

The Ontario government's five-year implementation update on its Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe shows that it is having the intended effect. The absence of this Growth Plan, they say, would result in worse gridlock, sprawl, a significant loss of greenspace, lower economic productivity and poorer quality...