The Land to Lake (WLO-L2L) Initiative vision is a future in which governments and resource managers along Western Lake Ontario actively collaborate and take strategic, coordinated actions towards improving water quality and ecosystem health.
Background
The watersheds along Western Lake Ontario (WLO), stretching between the Niagara River and Cobourg, are covered by the Upper Canada and Williams Treaties, and include the Traditional Territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Six Nations of the Grand, and the Williams Treaties First Nations.
They are also the Traditional Territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe, and are now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
The WLO region also has some of the most densely populated areas in Canada, and represents an area that spans:
- Seven Conservation Authorities
- Eight upper or single-tier municipalities
- 27 lower-tier municipalities
- Federal and provincial governments
Select the image below to view the full-sized map.
Activities within these watersheds can negatively impact water quality and ecosystem health in the lake.
Land-based stressors such as nutrient and bacterial inputs, reduced natural cover, shoreline alterations, invasive species, and stormwater runoff are some of the key factors affecting the health of Lake Ontario, which continue to be worsened by climate change.
To address these challenges, coordinated and strategic planning and action from all levels of government and resource managers are essential.
In 2022, the Western Lake Ontario – Land to Lake (WLO-L2L) Initiative was established to address these challenges collaboratively.
The Land to Lake Initiative aims to foster stronger, more coordinated collaborations to enhance capacity for actions that improve water quality and ecosystem health in WLO.
The Partnership
As of 2024, the WLO-L2L Initiative Advisory Committee is made up of representatives from eight local and regional municipalities, five conservation authorities, as well as provincial and federal partners:
The WLO-L2L Advisory Committee is seeking to build meaningful partnerships with First Nations and Indigenous communities to incorporate their knowledge and insights.
Objectives
By working together, we aim to improve water quality and ecosystem health in WLO for current and future generations through the following objectives:
- Improve watershed planning and ecosystem management.
- Reduce harmful nutrient and bacterial levels in the water.
- Enhance stormwater management.
- Increase community education and engagement.
- Share information better to support coordinated decision-making.
Progress and Next Steps
Since 2022, the WLO-L2L Initiative has:
- Hosted a webinar to kick off the initiative.
- Established an Advisory Committee to help direct the initiative and inform decision-making.
- Worked collaboratively to generate a workplan defining the first phase.
- Generated outreach materials to inform the public and stakeholders about the initiative.
- Identified and provided support for three projects that strongly align with WLO-L2L objectives and mitigate priority issues related to land-based activities and pollution sources.
- Hosted a WLO-L2L Initiative Summit with all WLO partners on December 3, 2024 to recap the first phase of the initiative and help with planning/direction for the next phase.
- Secured funding for 2025/26 to continue to help coordinate the WLO-L2L Initiative to develop a blueprint for the next phase, to support completion and communication of ongoing and completed projects, and to advance outreach and engagement for the WLO-L2L Initiative.
Collaborative Projects
- Natural asset benefit cost estimating course for municipalities and service providers, led by Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) – IN PROGRESS
- Updating Tributary Nutrient Load Estimates for Western Lake Ontario, led by ECCC/CWA – COMPLETE
- Brampton Water Quality Strategy: Catchbasin Inserts, led by the City of Brampton – IN PROGRESS
- Four Mile Creek Multi-Stakeholder Collaborative Restoration Strategy, led by NPCA – IN PROGRESS
- Compendium of coastal resilience issues and typology of nature-based/hybrid solutions – led by TRCA – IN PROGRESS
Resources
- Factsheet: A Partnership Initiative for Western Lake Ontario Land to Lake Initiative
- Terms of Reference: Western Lake Ontario Land to Lake Initiative (March 2023)
- Summary Engagement Report: Information Webinar on the Land to Lake Initiative for Western Lake Ontario – COMING SOON
- Report: Exploring a Partnership Initiative for Western Lake Ontario Land to Lake Initiative (March 2018)
Contact Information
For more information, please contact land2lake@trca.ca