Receives $180,000 for projects
MANITOULIN ISLAND—The Ontario government is investing $180,000 in projects led by the Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association (MSIA) to protect and strengthen creeks and rivers on Manitoulin Island in the Lake Huron watershed. These restoration projects will improve local water quality, promote healthy fisheries, and increase biodiversity, contributing to healthier communities and stronger local economies.
“Clean water is vital to the health and well-being of Manitoulin Island’s communities, waterways and ecosystems, and all of Ontario,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “Our government is proud to support the work of local experts to restore these creeks, streams and rivers that benefit aquatic ecosystems and local fisheries-creating cleaner, healthier spaces to live, work and enjoy nature, while protecting Ontario’s environment for generations to come.”
MSIA is receiving $100,000 to rehabilitate Blue Jay Creek through the Great Lakes Program, which supports multi-year projects that protect, conserve and restore the Great Lakes. Funding will support the removal of invasive species and cleaning up plastic waste with help from groups such as schools and First Nations communities, restoration of streams and promotion of environment stewardship across Manitoulin. These efforts will also promote increased recreational activities and tourism on the Island, strengthening the local economy.
MSIA received an additional $80,000 through the Ontario Community Environment Fund (OCEF), which uses penalties paid by polluters to fund important community-based environmental activities. This funding supported the planting of native trees and shrubs, stabilization of stream banks, enhanced aquatic habitat, and restoration of the Manitou River. Funding also enabled the installation of fencing to keep livestock from entering Grimesthorpe Creek, helping protect the local ecosystems and water quality.
“Investing in the rehabilitation of Blue Jay Creek is an investment in the long-term health of Manitoulin Island’s waterways, communities, and local economy,” said Bill Rosenberg, MPP, Algoma-Manitoulin. “By supporting stewardship actions and beneficial water management practices, we are restoring critical habitats, improving water quality, and creating opportunities that benefit both people and nature. I commend the local partners and community members whose leadership and dedication are helping to ensure a sustainable future for all of Manitoulin Island.”
(MSIA), “is grateful for the funding from the ministry’s Great Lakes Program and Ontario Community Environment Fund,” said Seija Deschenes, MSIA Coordinator. “These funds have allowed us to restore and protect important coldwater streams that contribute to the ecological, economic and social health of Manitoulin Island.”
“We are very excited that we have received these funds,” Ms. Deschenes told The Expositor. “As a non-profit organization we are always hoping to receive funds for more projects.”
Ms. Deschenes said MSIA is extremely appreciative from both sources. “We have completed three large scale projects with this funding on coldwater streams on Manitoulin and in addition conducted our island-wide garbage cleanup over the last four years and phragmites removal. We would also like to thank all of the volunteer and partner groups that help with the success of our restoration initiatives.”
She explained that MSI received OCEF funding of $55,000 in 2022 for work on the Manitou River Site 17.1. “There was eroding on the corner bend on an annual basis due to fluctuating high water during the spring freshet. There was also a risk at Michael’s Bay Road was at risk of flooding and washing out.”
“We worked in partnership with the Lake Manitou Area Association, Little Current Fish and Game Club members and numerous volunteers to plant 276 native trees and shrubs, 125 milkweed plants, 55 metres of shoreline restored from potential washout, two boulder clusters, 23 root wads, and removal of tire hub caps.”
“We received $25,000 last year from the OCEF for a project on Grimesthorpe Creek S19 A and B,” said Ms. Deschenes. “We partnered with LMAA and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. We put 455 metres of fencing along the creek to prevent livestock access, protecting 325 metres of coldwater stream and protecting a total of 6,175 square metres of riparian habitat, three spawning habitat, planted 700 native shrubs and trees, and successfully restored and protected over four kilometres of unbroken stream on the Grimesthorpe Creek working with our agricultural producers.”
“This year we are working on the Blue Jay Creek Site B29,” continued Ms. Deschenes. “Again we are working with agricultural producers to restore 490 meres of cold-water stream by adding pool riffle sequence lined with spawning gravel, installed a rock Vortex weir and two J hooks to help direct the water flow in the centre of the stream to reduce erosion of the shoreline banks, create pools and help scour sediment. We also installed three wing deflectors to hep scour sediment from the bottom of the creek to help expose spawning habitat for migrating salmonids, 32 root wads on corner banks to help reduce erosion and provide aquatic habitat for fish, turtles and frogs, installed 25 metres of fencing to restrict livestock, put in additional boulder clusters and spawning beds.”
Ms. Deschenes said, “We have just completed the in-water work for this project and are putting out a call to volunteers to help us plant 3,500 native trees and shrubs and planting pollinating flowers over 2.8 acres to act as an ecoservice for the agricultural producers crops.”
“Some of the funds we have receive have been used over the past four years to conduct an Island-wide garbage cleanup,” said Ms. Deschenes. “The number of volunteers that are contributing toward removal of garbage and plastics from the land and watershed have increased over the past four years.”
She explained over the past four years 2022-2025, 1,392 bags of garbage and plastic waste has been removed from 624 kilometres of roadsides, streams and shoreline by 2,131 participants. “We hope to continue this, it is really important. We want people to tie down their garbage even when they are taking it to the dump, and not to toss garbage out their vehicle windows. We all need to keep garbage and plastic from our streams and water bodies.”
“We also continue to work with the Manitoulin Phragmites group,” said Ms. Deschenes. This year Judith Jones and her group did a lot of work on Lake Wolsey, and other areas like Black Rock by the NEMI dump, Harbourview Road, in Gordon/Barrie Island, Wiikwemkoong Prairie Pointe, continued Ms. Deschenes.
Ms. Deschenes said, “we will be undertaking a project in Aundeck Omni Kaning in Sucker Creek next year. We will be restoring that stream, improve habitat and the fishery, and carry out riparian work from there to the falls.”
“I want to wish a shut out to all our partner groups over the years on all these projects,” stated Ms. Deschenes. “It is all about community, giving back and restoring streams and creeks.”
