Mr. Chair, I had the opportunity of being at Lake Simcoe this year to announce further funding for the protection of this great region. Lake Simcoe has an enormous impact on the regional economy. We have several members of our government who are keenly interested in ensuring that this water basin maintains its health. To support that, the Government of Canada's $30 million Lake Simcoe cleanup fund has supported initiatives designed to preserve and protect the environment of Lake Simcoe, supporting 160 local projects since 2008 and leveraging another 600 restoration projects with third party agreements. This means that local community groups are working with government to partner and ensure the health of this ecosystem. However, the NDP voted against this funding as well.
Through the Lake Winnipeg basin initiative, Canada committed $17.7 million over four years, from 2008 to 2012, to clean up Lake Winnipeg, aiming to reduce blue-green algae blooms, ensure fewer beach closings, keep in place a sustainable fishery, provide a clean lake for recreation and restore the ecological integrity of the lake.
Again, we are recognizing a problem that is happening in one of our water basins, investing to support it, working with community groups to come up with real action, but the NDP voted against that.