Skip to contentOntario.caFrançais

• Why the Great Lakes are important
• Why their health is at risk
• What Ontario is doing to protect the Great Lakes

Why the Great Lakes are important 

Ontarians have good reason to love their Great Lakes:

We call them home. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin is home to 98 per cent of Ontarians. Most live along the lakes' shorelines in eight of Canada's largest cities.

Many living creatures also call them home. More than 150 native species of fish and more than 3,000 species of plants live in the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. It is one of the most biologically rich regions in Canada.

They give us our drinking water. More than 70 per cent of Ontarians get their drinking water directly from the lakes.

They power the province. More than 80 per cent of the power generated in this province depends, in some way, on the Great Lakes.

They are Ontario's breadbasket. Ninety-five per cent of Ontario's farm cash receipts come from the Great Lakes region.

Why their health is at risk 

The Great Lakes may seem quiet and unchanging on the surface but they are vulnerable, facing incredible pressures that are changing the health of the ecosystem. The Great Lakes face pressures from historical pollution, new chemicals and from urban development that destroys natural shoreline habitat and contributes contaminated run-off.

Invasive species are changing the ecosystem, out-competing native organisms for food and creating conditions ripe for the growth of nuisance and toxic algae. Climate change and a growing population are making existing problems worse.

We must take care of the lakes for their own sake and so we don't lose the many benefits they offer to us and to future generations. 

What Ontario is doing to protect the Great Lakes 

Protecting the Great Lakes is a priority for the Ministry of the Environment and we do this through our own jurisdictional powers as well as working in collaboration with others. We invite you to explore this section of our site to learn how we're doing it, including:

• Making laws that protect Ontario's water
• Taking action by working to protect and restore the lakes together with our federal, U.S. and state partners, municipalities, conservation authorities, Aboriginal communities and organizations, non-government organizations, academic institutions, industry, farmers and others. Since 2007, Ontario has committed over $50 million on more than 900 projects to restore, protect and conserve the Great Lakes.
• Developing a long-term vision for the Great Lakes' environmental protection
• Making progress and marking achievements