In February 2021 at the Council meeting on the 24th our Council passed a motion that included the following “That the Council of the Town of Georgina requests the Province to revise the Phosphorus Reduction Strategy to create a time bound plan and the associated budgets to achieve the 55% phosphorus pollution reductions to no more than 44 tonnes per year as soon as possible”. This was during the staff report that provided comments to the 10 year Review of the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan. This motion was moved by Councillor Neeson and I fully supported it. So to answer your question as Mayor of Georgina I have already made a similar request to the Province.

Also later in 2021 at the September 15th meeting we passed a motion by Councillor Neeson that requested the Province support the funding of the Holland Marsh Phosphorus Recycling Facility that would assist in removing phosphorus from the Holland River prior to it entering Lake Simcoe. We were pleased to have the Province announce earlier this year that they would commit $24 Million over the next thre years for this project. The Federal government had already committed $16 million toward the estimated $40 million project. This facility could remove approximately 5 tonnes of phosphorus per year. It is my commitment to continue to work with the Province, the Region and the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority to see this facility a reality.

I will further commit to working with other municipalities around Lake Simcoe to pass motions similar to the one we passed in February 2021 in requesting the Province revise the Phosphorus Reduction Strategy to create a plan and budget to achieve the 55% phosphorus pollution reductions to no more than 44 tonnes per year by 2030. There is power in numbers and voices to be heard.