Of all the wonderful tours and information Commissioners received during July and August visits to northern Lake Michigan, Georgian Bay and southern Lake Huron, perhaps the most valuable was the clear message of how treasured the Great Lakes are to residents in these regions.
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Not everyone can write a sonnet like Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the famous English poet responsible for those lines. But not everyone has the science or legal chops to craft a powerful public comment on Great Lakes water quality, either.
A recent workshop in the Niagara region of Ontario helped gather ideas on how the Commission can improve the inclusion and engagement of First Nations, Métis and tribes in its transboundary work.