The 2017 Loblaw Water Fund will award almost $255,000 to 11 community projects to improve freshwater health in ecosystems across Canada.
Elizabeth Hendriks, WWF-Canada's vice-president of freshwater conservation says:
"The Loblaw Water Fund puts essential financial support in the hands of community members so they can focus on work that will improve freshwater habitat for fish and wildlife. To determine priority areas for funding, we use the findings of the WWF-Canada Watershed Reports, which assess both the health of Canada's freshwater ecosystems and stressors like pollution, habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, invasive species, water overuse and alteration of flows."
Bob Chant, Loblaw senior vice-president, corporate affairs, says:
"On behalf of Loblaw and our almost 200,000 colleagues across the country, I want to commend the recipients of this year's grants on the important work they are doing to preserve and protect Canada's freshwater. The Loblaw Water Fund, and our partnership with WWF, gives us more opportunities to engage Canadians and provide greater support for those working on the ground to conserve our natural environment."
The 2017 Loblaw Water Fund grant recipient projects:
The Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society (better known as "Cows and Fish") will help landowners and local municipalities in the North Saskatchewan River Watershed better understand management options that reduce the impacts of beaver activity while supporting more of the benefits beavers provide. (Project name: Living with Beavers — Implementing Management Changes to Benefit Watershed Health)
The Columbia Basin Watershed Network Society will identify potential wetlands restoration sites and train citizens in wetlands installation. (Project name: Community engagement in wetlands habitat restoration in the Arrow Lakes)
The Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, in co-ordination with the Wilp Luutkudziiwus — Luutkudziiwus Territory Management Assessment program, will provide updated information on the effects of forest road and harvesting practices along the Suskwa and Skeena Rivers on water quality, fish stock productivity and habitat of anadromous and resident fish. (Project name: Wilp Luutkudziiwus — Luutkudziiwus Territory Management Assessment)
The Organisme de Bassin Versant Abitibi-Jamésie will conduct preliminary water quality analyses in streams and other surface waters to overcome significant data deficiencies in the Abitibi and Harricanaw sub-watersheds. (Project name: Surface water analyses of the rivers of the Abitibi and Harricanaw sub-watersheds)
Royal Botanical Gardens is working to restore fish and wildlife habitat in Cootes Paradise Marsh and Grindstone Creek Marsh, improve water quality and delist Hamilton Harbour as an area of concern. (Project name: RBG Wetlands Rehabilitation Program)
The Fort Whyte Foundation Inc. is working with partner groups to adopt a standardized protocol for freshwater monitoring in Manitoba, along with a data archive to house gathered information. (Project name: Winnipeg's Lake Winnipeg — Aquatic Education, Monitoring and Restoration towards Conservation)
The Indian Bay Ecosystem Corporation will install cameras in Indian Bay Brook to count upstream migrating Atlantic salmon to compare with historic data, and will further evaluate the condition of the ecosystem using chemical and biological indicators. (Project name: Indian Bay Watershed Ecosystem Health Assessment: Benthic Biomonitoring, Water Quality & Salmon Stock Analysis)
The Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation will continue to monitor water quality in the LaHave River, assess fish passage at approximately 300 stream crossings, and complete eight fish passage remediation projects. (Project name: LaHave River Watershed Project — Water Quality Monitoring and Aquatic Connectivity Restoration)
To improve understanding of local freshwater health, ACAP Cape Breton will train volunteers from multiple groups in proper sampling protocol, provide them with calibrated equipment, help with sample site selection and data management. (Project name: Neighbourhood Water Watch: Community-based monitoring of freshwater habitat health in Cape Breton)
The Akaitcho First Nations will address concerns about the deteriorating quality and quantity of water downstream of old and active mine sites by carrying out monitoring work on Slave River. (Project name: Regional Akaitcho Water Monitoring Program)
This Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council project provides training and increases capacity for First Nations' community-based water quality and quantity monitoring in the Upper Yukon Traditional Territory. (Project name: Indigenous Observation Network: Northern Community-Based Water Quality Project)
About World Wildlife Fund Canada
WWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that nature, wildlife and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. For more information, visit wwf.ca.
About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada's food and pharmacy leader, the nation's largest retailer, and the majority unit holder of Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. Loblaw provides Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, banking, and wireless mobile products and services. With more than 2,400 corporate, franchised and Associate-owned locations, Loblaw, its franchisees, and Associate-owners employ approximately 200,000 full- and part-time employees, making it one of Canada's largest private sector employers. Loblaw's purpose – Live Life Well – puts first the needs and well-being of Canadians who make one billion transactions annually in the companies' stores.
SOURCE WWF-Canada
Megan Nesseth, communications specialist, [email protected], +1 416-904-2482
Related Links
www.wwf.ca
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