Mr. Speaker, water levels in Lake Huron are at an all-time low, and people are getting worried.
Wetlands are endangered; docks and boat ramps are high and dry; exposed water lines are freezing; and the harbour at South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island will have to be dredged so the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry can reach the dock.
While the government sits on its hands, the costs of low water are soaring. Property values are affected, and now freighters on the Great Lakes are running light so they do not bottom out.
The International Joint Commission has adopted a wait-and-see stance that is not sitting well with the communities, businesses and people affected. They want action and are pointing to the derelict work order for compensating structures in the St. Clair River as a good place to start. The speed bumps were called for in 1917 to offset the increased water flow from repeated dredging of that river's shipping channel, but have never been built.
With water levels down in all the Great Lakes, it is time to protect these Canadian crown jewels and reverse the mounting environmental and economic crisis.