Ontario Supporting Local Projects to Protect Lake Simcoe

November 10, 2023

$1.3 million investment for projects focused on reducing phosphorus to improve health of the lake

The Ontario government is investing over $1.3 million in four new multi-year projects to further reduce the amount of phosphorus entering Lake Simcoe, which will help improve the ecological health of the lake and the communities that depend on it.

These projects will help the government and its partners continue to build on the significant progress made to protect and restore Lake Simcoe. Some of the signs of recovery in the Lake Simcoe watershed include a 50 per cent reduction in phosphorus from sewage treatment plants entering the watershed, decreased amounts of algae in the lake and successful reproduction of cold-water fish such as lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco.

Since 2018, our government has committed more than $27.3 million to protect and restore Lake Simcoe, including a $24-million investment for a new phosphorus recycling project to help reduce phosphorus discharges from the Holland River into Lake Simcoe. These investments are part of Ontario’s continued commitment to implement the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan.