Making Waves Newsletter January 2022

The Cities Initiative releases its newsletter, “Making Waves,” once per month. Stay up to date on current initiatives, important government programs, webinars, etc.

Annual General Meeting - SAVE THE DATE

Come Learn About:

Location:

St. Catharines, Ontario

White Oaks Resort and Spa

Venue Links:

Queen Victoria Restaurant | White Oaks Resort and Spa

Things to do in St. Catharines Area - Niagara Falls Canada:

Government of Canada Mandate Letters

Just before the holidays, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally released the mandate letters for his Cabinet ministers.

Why do mandate letters matter? They outline the government’s plans and priorities that each minister will work to accomplish and the Prime Minister’s expectations for each minister. They also help government stakeholders formulate their proposals in a way to support a minister’s mandate (i.e., “help us help you”). Read more

Meeting with Ontario Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks

The 2022 edition of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference took place January 23-25, 2022. As part of the conference, Mayor Brian Saunderson (Collingwood) and Councillor Clare Latimer (Chatham-Kent) met with Ontario Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, David Piccini. The delegation shared an update from the Mayors Advisory Council on Coastal Resilience and urged the Minister to support communities in addressing this important issue impacting coastal municipalities.

Biden Administration Releases Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan

In mid-December the Biden Administration released its Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan to deploy resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and mobilize existing resources and programs, technical assistance, rulemaking and policy standards, and other tools to accelerate progress toward eliminating all lead water lines in the next decade and remediating lead paint. Read more

Cities Initiative Coastal Resilience Program Moves Forward

The Cities Initiative has developed a multifaceted program to help cities strengthen resilience in coastal areas and mitigate impacts from climate change.

We are starting by organizing regional coastal resilience workgroups for Wisconsin cities along Lake Michigan and cities in Southeast Michigan along the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Lake Erie. Read more

Update on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

The Biden Administration is moving forward with implementation of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, known formally as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which the President signed into law on Nov. 15. The Act provides $555 billion in new funding for a wide array of infrastructure investments, including $55 billion for water infrastructure. Highlights of interest to Great Lakes mayors include: Read more

Meeting with MP for Berthier–Maskinongé

Our Canada Policy Director recently met with Bloc Québécois MP Yves Perron to learn more about his petition to reinstate federal funding to build and repair shoreline barriers along the St. Lawrence Seaway. The program, put into place during the construction of the Seaway, was canceled in 1997 as part of the government’s program review. Several municipalities and residents along the St. Lawrence have seen the original infrastructure deteriorate and high rates of erosion over the years caused by fluctuating water levels and larger ships causing bigger waves, with no federal funding to support remediation.

Microfilter subsidies for residents of partner Quebec municipalities

GRAME, a Montreal-based organization has partnered with different municipalities to subsidize (available in French only) up to 30% on the purchase of their residents’ microfibre filters. Interested municipalities are encouraged to contact the GRAME.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Great Lakes webinar series now available

The series of four sessions ECCC hosted on the Great Lakes is now fully available online (presentations and recordings). We strongly recommend watching the webinars on coastal processes and nutrients.

Resolution Proclaiming Water and Sanitation as Basic Human Rights, and that Water Shall Remain in the Public Trust

The City of Traverse City, Michigan values our freshwater resource and hopes other municipalities will take action by resolving that water is a basic human right and shall remain in the Public Trust. Read Resolution

2022 Webinars

The Cities Initiative will continue its monthly webinar series in 2022, so please look for an upcoming announcement of our next webinar topic and registration information.