MEDIA RELEASE - 24 OCT 2025 - Great Lakes Local Action Fund (GLLAF)
MEDIA RELEASE
24 OCT 2025
Municipality Receives Government of Ontario Funding to Protect and Restore Ecosystem Health and Improve Water Quality of the St. Lawrence River Watershed
Maynooth, ON – The Municipality of Hastings Highlands is excited to announce that it has secured funding through the Great Lakes Local Action Fund (GLLAF) provided by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to implement local-scale, nature-based planting on private properties, to improve natural shoreline buffers, mitigate shoreline erosion, reduce sediment and pollutant runoff, and strengthen these habitats for local wildlife.
With an investment of up to $46,250, the Municipality is pleased to have partnered with Watersheds Canada, Bancroft Area Stewardship Council, and the Hastings Highlands Interlake Association (comprised of seven major local lake association representatives) to host shoreline preservation workshops specific to the Hastings Highlands waterfront community. The “Design Your Shoreline Workshops” were facilitated by Watersheds Canada team members in May and September and gave property owners an opportunity to learn about waterfront stewardship and the importance of a natural shoreline.
These workshops facilitated the planting of native vegetation species along the shorelines of participants’ properties by providing free native species bundles to be planted on shoreline properties. Over 100 private properties in Hastings Highlands were given the opportunity to attend an educational workshop regarding environmental resilience led by watershed and eco-landscaping experts, highlighting specific native species and how to integrate them into the landscape, and the benefits they provide. Workshops included the distribution of free bundles of native plant species to workshop participants to be planted on private waterfront properties in the St. Lawrence River Watershed.
“I commend the Municipality of Hastings Highlands for its leadership in protecting local waterways and enhancing shoreline resilience through the Great Lakes Local Action Fund,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “This important local initiative is empowering residents to be active stewards of their environment in a very practical, hands-on way — fostering a commitment to conservation that will help improve water quality and preserve natural habitats for future generations.”
- Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment Conservation and Parks
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this funding through the Great Lakes Local Action Fund,” said Mayor Tony Fitzgerald. “This investment not only empowers our community to take real, hands-on action to protect our lakes and waterways, but also strengthens our partnerships with local organizations and residents. Together, we are building healthier shorelines, improving habitats for wildlife, and ensuring that our natural environment remains resilient for generations to come.”
- Tony Fitzgerald, Mayor of Hastings Highlands
Media Contacts
David Stewart
Chief Administrative Officer
Municipality of Hastings Highlands