The Canadian government is allocating more than $2.3 million towards 14 initiatives focused on the preservation and enhancement of the St. John River, also known as the Wolastoq. Wade Grant, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of environment, climate change, and nature, revealed this funding during an event in Fredericton over the weekend.
During the announcement, Grant highlighted the various threats impacting the river’s water quality and ecological well-being, pointing out that urban expansion has led to a rise in pollutants and contaminants in the water. He emphasized that over half of New Brunswick’s population resides within the river’s watershed, with approximately 20% of them depending on it for drinking water. Grant also acknowledged the deep cultural ties the Wolastoqey people have with the river, having nurtured it for generations.
The Maliseet Nation Conservation Council is set to receive $195,000 to train Wolastoqey community members to monitor water quality within the watershed, focusing on issues arising from excessive nutrients, harmful algae blooms, and pollutants. This funding will be distributed over a two-year period. Additionally, Nature NB will benefit from $100,000 over three years for their Agricultural Edge Project, which aims to collaborate with local farmers in restoring stream banks along the river.
Vanessa Roy-McDougall, the executive director of Nature NB, expressed the significance of the initiative for freshwater protection and sustainable agriculture in New Brunswick, highlighting the planting of native tree species along the river banks to enhance water quality and safeguard vulnerable species. The Belleisle Watershed Coalition is also receiving a share of the funding to assess the presence of chemicals in the water and its potential impacts.
Colin Forsythe, the executive director of the Belleisle Watershed Coalition, explained that the research will focus on the exposure risks of these chemicals on human health and the ecosystem, with the aim of presenting recommendations based on their findings. Forsythe also noted the influence of climate change on the increased levels of chemicals in the water.
The financial support is sourced from the Canada Water Agency as part of the federal government’s $650 million commitment under its Freshwater Action Plan to safeguard and revive crucial freshwater resources over the next decade. Grant reiterated the importance of water as a life-sustaining resource that is fundamental to both people and nature, emphasizing the need to protect it for the well-being of Canadians and the economy.