A local member of Parliament says it's time for Canada to have a 21st-century plan concerning its freshwater supply.
Essex MP Tracey Ramsey's private member's bill calling for an updated freshwater strategy was given first reading in the House of Commons last week, but Ramsey stopped by the University of Windsor's Freshwater Ecology Centre in LaSalle Thursday afternoon to discuss the finer points of her plan.
Ramsey said the issue is timely and close to home with the Great Lakes in our backyard.
"We're surrounded by the Great Lakes here and by freshwater, and we know we've had some issues with the algae blooms, which have been very significant throughout the term that I've served, and also the invasive species and talking about our relationship in shared water with the United States," said Ramsey.
Bill C-439, as it is classified, would allow a review for new national water policy. It would establish national drinking water standards, protect groundwater, evaluate the readiness of water and wastewater infrastructure and handle changes in regards to climate change, reduce eutrophication in Canadian freshwater lakes and ensure the protection of water in international agreements.
Ramsey wants to update a clean water package passed in 1987 to reflect new technology and climate change, and she is confident that the majority Liberals will eventually take the bill up.
"Not having a national focus on what is acceptable and what the standards are is something that I think is very basic, something that we can do. It's not complicated," said Ramsey. "I think it's the type of leadership that Canadians would like to see from the federal government, to ensure that those standards are the same across the country."
The MP said based on the cutting-edge research done locally by the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), her bill would help streamline the process of establishing freshwater standards nationwide.
"I think what the bill would do is bring all of that research under one umbrella, and make sure it's being shared among the provinces and the territories, so we don't have this piecemeal approach," said Ramsey.
The entire bill as introduced can be accessed online.