What role does the government of Ontario play with respect to international agreements such as the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement?
Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, first signed in 1972 by Canada and the United States, the two governments agreed “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem”. Four of the five Great Lakes are within the borders of Ontario, and Ontario’s environmental policies and programs directly affect the quality and quantity of the lakes. Therefore, Ontario shares the responsibility with the federal government for implementing the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. This has been formalized in another agreement between the federal government and Ontario – “Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem”. As well, Ontario has signed another separate agreement with the province of Quebec and the eight states bordering the Great Lakes called the Great Lakes Charter. This agreement outlines principles for the collective management of the Great Lakes. For more information on Ontario’s role
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