Protecting and Preserving Toronto’s Freshwater Supply

It’s hard to imagine that Canada would ever have reason to be concerned about its supply of fresh water.

Statistically speaking, Canada is home to about 20% of the world’s freshwater resources, and about 7% of the world’s entire renewable freshwater supply.  (Note: not all freshwater is renewable – that being part of the hydrological cycle as most of it is fossil water retained in lakes, underground aquifers, and glaciers, thus making it finite and non-renewable).

With a population of around 36 Million – or roughly 0.5% of the global number, to have access to a full 7% of the world’s renewable freshwater supply is a generous endowment to say the least.

However, a deeper look will show that all is not as idyllic and generous as it seems.

More than half of this renewable freshwater supply drains northward into the Arctic Ocean and Hudson’s Bay.  This is a problem because around 85% of Canada’s population lives within 200 kms of our southern border, and the sizeable geographic distance between the two makes the logistics too difficult to pair the northbound water with the southbound glut of our population.

So while Canada may be home to more freshwater than we theoretically would ever need, our reality is that we can only rely on a certain percentage of it.  It is no wonder then that we are seeing more and more attention drawn to the need to protect our usable water supply given that it’s more scarce than we perhaps first realized it to be.

A view of Lake Ontario less than 1 KM from my home

In my personal neck of the woods, the juxtaposition of residing in a metropolitan area of some 5 million people that also abuts onto one of the world’s greatest freshwater supplies is noteworthy in many ways.

The Greater Toronto Area, which can even be stretched-out to include what is known as the Golden Horseshoe is Canada’s largest urban area.  It hugs the western-half of Lake Ontario, which is part of the Great Lakes system and is the repository of 18% of the world’s freshwater.

The Great Lakes Basin is where some 30 million people reside, living in 8 US States and the Province of Ontario.  The economic, environmental and social significance of Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior are amongst the most significant in North America.  It goes without saying that the viability and quality of this freshwater system is paramount to the overall success and quality of life that millions of North Americans covet.

The large population and reliance upon the Great Lakes puts a great strain on the ecological and environmental viability of the entire system.  The Greater Toronto Area uses Lake Ontario not only for its drinking water supply, but also as the end-stream for its sewage and other waste items.  The act of keeping the two in balance is never easy and signs that the balance is tipped in the wrong direction constantly appear.  I live in the eastern GTA and due to increase waste-water deposits a growing algae problem is turning into a major concern. Governments need to figure out how best to balance the multitude of uses for the Lake in order to keep the area prosperous and healthy.

Downtown Toronto and the Lake Ontario Shoreline - Photo: Eric Novak

The reality of course is that governments alone can’t do all that is necessary.  Without the participation and support of both society at large as well as the corporate sector, the fight to keep the ecological freshwater balance will never be maintained.

The good news is that with ever increasing visibility, the amount of corporate and community-based initiatives designed to protect our freshwater supply is growing and gaining momentum.  From a corporate perspective, it is imperative that those with the greatest capacity to lead, actually do so.  One corporate example where this appears to be holding true is with the efforts of RBC, Canada’s largest bank and its Blue Water Project.

The RBC Blue Water Project is a wide-ranging program dedicated to protecting the world’s most precious natural resource: fresh water. The bank supports initiatives that help protect water in our growing towns and cities. They also promote responsible water use with their employees and clients, are committed to reducing the intensity of their own water footprint and encourage the growth of water businesses.

A noteworthy initiative of the Blue Water Project is it’s annual Makeover Day.  This year, from June 2nd to 7th, RBC employees from across the country as well as in many international locations gathered to help with various initiatives all aimed at protecting and preserving the local water supply.  Here in Toronto, the event took place on June 4th with RBC employees gathering downtown and taking part in an initiative that saw more than 4,000 wildflowers planted.  Wildflowers are effective at absorbing storm water, which lessens the risk of flooding and the contamination of the Lake.

The event was documented and a short video recap of the Toronto event has been included below:

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While a simple initiative like this on its own would never be enough, it is nonetheless a part of a wide-ranging process that RBC has committed to through it’s Blue Water Project.

Freshwater is something that can easily be taken for granted in a part of the world that is blessed with an abundance of something so essential to human viability.  Fortunately though, with the combined initiatives of citizens, corporations and governments alike – all with the hoped-for ambition of maintaining a healthy balance in perpetuity, we should hopefully be able to reap the benefits of our bounty for generations to come.

 

(DISCLOSURE: This post was sponsored by RBC.  All editorial content remains fully controlled by, and at the discretion of the author.)

 

Eric Novak

About Eric Novak

Eric Novak is a father of 4 who also thinks that environmental stewardship is a requisite of parenting. He's not a professional Dad nor is he an environmental scientist, but he's someone who gives a damn and is trying to make the right decisions as he lives his life as a father, environmentalist, part time professor and business owner. Eric has 4 children and resides in Ajax, Ontario.