Environment committee  We certainly look at fish. We look at whole fish, fish parts, and edible portions of fish.

Environment committee  They're all declining significantly in terms of the persistent toxins.

Environment committee  Water temperature is increasing. There is a link to algae growth. We're seeing a longer growing season for algae in Lake Erie. The lakes are all different. Lake Superior is a very large and deep lake, so it's a colder lake and it's not as responsive. Lake Erie is the shallowest of the lakes and that's why we're seeing more rapid changes, and more development of algae.

Environment committee  No, it's a separate issue. It's microplastics. It's been an area of study in the oceans, where they're finding zones of concentrations of plastic. One of the sources is our plastic bags and all the plastics we use that get ground up and persist in the environment. Interestingly, with microplastics, some are used in health and beauty products, so those nice skin scrubs that we all use contain actual plastics.

Environment committee  That's the big challenge, how you would do that, either in sewage treatment or in other measures. Right now, I think the area of research is the impact of those microplastics and how important they are in the Great Lakes, but I think that already companies are starting to take proactive action.

Environment committee  If I could add to that, though, Hamilton may be a best practice in terms of community involvement. They have a group called the Bay Area Restoration Council that has been absolutely wonderful in bringing people down to the harbour and creating recreational facilities for them along the harbour, so that people are there and are questioning why they can't use the water more.