From The Friends of the Muskoka Watershed, the Gull and Silver Lakes Residents’ Association and the Ontario Salt Pollution Coalition:
The District Municipality of Muskoka Council has passed a resolution that commits to its ongoing efforts toward the reduction of road salt as much as possible, while maintaining safety on roads and sidewalks. The resolution, passed at today’s Council Meeting [March 17], also urges the province of Ontario to create and fund an expert stakeholder advisory committee to advise the province and municipalities on the best courses of action to protect freshwater ecosystems and drinking water from the impact of salt pollution.
The resolution was initiated and moved by District Chair Jeff Lehman, who issued the following statement: “The District is pleased to work with local cottage associations, the landscaping industry, and environmental groups to help mitigate the impacts of salt and ensure the right amount is used in the right way in the right places. Building on previous District work and commitments, we look forward to continuing to improve lake health and provide leadership in reducing the environmental impact of road salt in Muskoka.”
Last Fall a delegation of representatives from The Friends of the Muskoka Watershed, the Gull and Silver Lakes Residents’ Association, the Ontario Salt Pollution Coalition, and Landscape Ontario met with District Chair Lehman to discuss the problem of increasing Chloride Levels in lakes in Muskoka and across Ontario. That meeting led to further discussions and resulted in the resolution that was passed by District Council.
The Friends of the Muskoka Watershed and the Gull & Silver Lakes Residents’ Association applaud the actions of District Council and the leadership of Chair Lehman. Pollution of lakes throughout Muskoka, caused by road salt, has become an increasing concern to many residents of Muskoka. Dr. Neil Hutchinson PhD, Director of the Friends of Muskoka Watershed, commented on the status of the lakes in Muskoka: “The water in our Muskoka lakes is soft water – containing very low levels of calcium. This makes the aquatic life in our lakes very sensitive to road salt pollution. One quarter of our lakes are at levels of concern to sensitive aquatic life and salt levels are increasing in 29% of our lakes. We thank the District for formally recognizing the threat of road salt and look forward to taking concrete steps to reduce the use of road salt in Muskoka.”
The resolution also asks the Province to work urgently with private contractors in the snow and ice management sector to establish enforceable training and a single set of provincially-endorsed standard Best Management Practices. Integral to the standards and training, the Province is being urged to develop limited liability legislation, to protect contractors from “slip and fall” lawsuits if trained and certified.
Recently, The Friends of the Muskoka Watershed (FOTMW) received an Eco-Action Grant from the Canada Water Agency to promote freshwater health in Muskoka. The title of the grant project is SALTYMuskoka. As explained by Lenore Inniss, Chair of the FOTMW, “Our overall goal is to engage the Muskoka community, urban and lakeshore residents, schools, and commercial property owners, to reduce the use of road salt on parking lots and residential properties.” The Eco-Action Grant requires FOTMW to generate matching funds from the Muskoka community. Ms. Inniss stated, “We have launched our fundraising campaign and encourage residents of Muskoka to donate to this important environmental project by visiting www.fotmw.org.” The Friends of the Muskoka Watershed is a not-for-profit environmental charity registered with the CRA.
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