ST-JOSEPH-DE-COLERAINE, Que - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and member of Parliament for Mégantic-L’Érable, on behalf of Canada’s Environment Minister, the Honourable Jim Prentice, announced today up to $779,817 in funding from the EcoAction Community Funding Program for 23 projects in the province of Québec. The total value of these projects is $2,682,625.

“The Government of Canada is committed to addressing the environmental priorities of Canadians,” said Minister Prentice.  “We are proud to support community groups across the country willing to take concrete action through on-the-ground environmental projects in order to preserve and enhance the quality of Canada’s natural heritage.”

In the Mégantic region, Environment Canada has contributed $82,167 to the Action Belles Rives Grand Lac Saint-François project, which aims to renaturalize 300 shoreline properties. This riparian strip will improve the lake’s health and is effective in preventing blue algae. To maximize the project’s impact, the participating shoreline residents will have to be committed to the revegetation of their properties, to using phosphate-free dishwashing soap, and not using pesticides or fertilizers on their lawns. 

“The EcoAction Community Funding Program is a concrete example of how the Government of Canada is helping communities and their citizens enjoy cleaner air, water and land,” said Minister Paradis. “And we are supporting projects under this program because we believe on-the-ground activities like these can and will make a difference.”

Each year, Environment Canada funds various groups which help to deliver real results for Canadians and our environment.  Environment Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding Program provides financial support to locally-based, not-for-profit organizations to undertake community-level projects that have positive, measurable results for the environment.  The program assists these organizations in initiating projects that result in cleaner air, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, cleaner water, and the conservation of nature at the local community level.

“Protecting a lake’s water quality includes renaturalization of its shores, but more importantly, a will to take action at every level,” said Roger Lamothe, president of L’Association des riverains du Grand Lac Saint-François. “Residents, municipalities, farmers and industries must see what they can to ensure water quality and should remember that each action counts.”

More information about the EcoAction Community Funding Program is available on Environment Canada’s website at the following address: www.ec.gc.ca/ecoaction.