Our Detroit River Canadian Cleanup RAP Coordinator, Jackie Serran began her maternity leave in April and is expected to return in June 2023.

During this absence, we welcome Mr. Paul Drca to fill the vacancy. Paul holds a Diploma in Chemical Engineering Technology from St. Clair College and a Bachelor of Science Degree (Chemistry) from the University of Windsor.

Paul was the City of Windsor’s Manager, Environmental Quality in the Pollution Control Dept. when he retired in 2020 after nearly 39 years of service. Prior to his municipal career, Paul was employed in the metal finishing and soft gelatin capsule industries.

As the City’s Manager, Environmental Quality, Paul was active in the Detroit River RAP through the Steering and Implementation Committee and the Monitoring and Research Workgroup. As well, he was a municipal representative on the Essex Region Source Water Protection Committee. He was an active member of the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the Water Environment Association of Ontario (WEAO) throughout his career.

Paul has worked on a number of projects over the years that are directly related to the Detroit River RAP. These include development and implementation of the City’s Environmental Master Plan, the upgrade and expansion of the Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant, the riverfront Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Retention Treatment Basin (RTB), the Windsor Riverfront Pollution Control Planning Study and the Little River Comprehensive Stream Study.

Environment and Climate Change Canada Minister Steven Guilbeault said in the House of Commons early May that both Transport Canada and Parks Canada are signing a memorandum of understanding to pursue a transfer of property from the Windsor Port Authority to Parks Canada.

This property is known as Ojibway Shores, and is the last piece of natural habitat along the Detroit River. It is a very important ecological piece to the greater Ojibway Prairie Complex.

The Detroit River Canadian Cleanup is so pleased, as this represents a twenty year environmentally significant milestone in the community! Further to this wonderful news, advocacy continues to establish a National Urban Park (NUP) that includes Ojibway Park, Spring Garden Natural Area, Black Oak Heritage Park, the Tallgrass Prairie Park, Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve and Ojibway Shores properties.

This National Urban Park concept began many years ago, being championed by NDP MP Brian Masse, who represents Windsor West. Further, Irek Kusmierczyk, Libral MP who represents Windsor-Tecumseh has also campaigned for the establishment of the NUP as well.

University of Windsor biology PhD student Eric Ste-Marie spotted a river otter swimming in the Detroit River! He went for a walk on April 25th and noticed a furry brown animal and took a photo of what he assumed was a muskrat or mink. After realizing it was too large to be either of those he followed it along the riverfront and determined it was a river otter. His photo is the first photographic proof of a river otter in the Detroit River in over 100 years.

In an interview with CTV News, Dr. John Hartig mentions that river otters were common to the watershed hundreds of years ago during the fur trades. Due to over-harvesting, they became extirpated from the river in the early 1900s. Further, due to notorious oil spills occurring in the Detroit River between the 1940s and 1970s, river otters present were not able to survive if they came into contact with oil as they couldn't regulate their body temperatures once their fur was matted. As river otters are indicator species of healthy aquatic ecosystems, "“This gives us all hope that we all can make a difference in better caring for the place we call home,” says Hartig.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement calls for Canada and the U.S. to convene the Great Lakes Public Forum once every three years to discuss the state of the lakes, progress made under the Agreement, priorities for science and action, and to provide an opportunity for public input.

 

We are pleased to announce that the next Great Lakes Public Forum will be held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada on September 27-29, 2022. We encourage you to save this date on your calendar and look forward to your attendance. More information on the Great Lakes Public Forum will be forthcoming.

 

This year’s Forum holds special significance as it falls on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States. We hope you’ll join us at the Forum to celebrate this important milestone! 

 

Thank you for your interest in the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes.

 

Please direct questions to:

glwqa-aqegl@ec.gc.ca (Canada)

glwqa@epa.gov (U.S.)

 

#GreatLakesPublicForum

#GLWQA50

Wear a life jacket - even if you don't plan on jumping in, most fatalities with boating are from drowning. Everyone on board including young children should have a life jacket.

Swimming and boating skills - make sure everyone has taken swimming lessons and is comfortable in the water. This knowledge can be life saving. Never leave children unsupervised on the boat or when in the water.

Safety equipment - aside from life jackets, pack a fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, flashlight, your cellphone, marine radio and an air horn or whistle for signaling other boats in the river. All of these tools will help in an emergency.

Plan your route - have your route planned in advance so you can navigate the water carefully and with ease. Better yet, tell someone who isn't going on your trip where you are going and how long you might be.

Know your environment - the water in the Detroit River moves fast! The Windsor Port Authority Harbourmaster Peter Berry says some areas of the river are travelling at 20 kilometres an hour. Also, Great Lakes are more likely to have larger waves and be cooler than shallow inland waterways like tributaries. Cold water can lead to hypothermia and unconsciousness in as little as fifteen minutes.

Watch the weather - wind can rough the water and can pose a hazard to smaller watercraft, especially in the Detroit River. Lightning is also a risk to an open boat exposed on the water. Check the forecast often for any day you plan to be out in the water and delay the trip if weather is hazardous.

Look before you leap - diving or jumping off a boat can lead to injury if there are underwater items like rocks below.

Note that participants fishing without a license must fish under the Conservation fishing license limits which are set out in the current Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary. Hint - the Detroit River is in Fisheries Management Zone 19. If eating the fish, don't forget to follow the fish consumption guidelines outlined in the Guide to Eating Ontario Fish.

The much loved Detroit River Family Fishing event will be hosted on Saturday July 2 2022 from 8am to 1pm. All are welcome!

For more information about this event please visit www.detroitriver.ca/fish. Check back often as we continue to plan for the day.

The 2022 World Environment Day campaign #OnlyOneEarth calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet.