Archive
2015 Annual Meeting: Sarnia/Lambton County, Ontario
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- Premier Kathleen Wynne gives Keynote Address (Photo: Sarnia Observer)
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- CMQ Deputy Mayor Michelle Morin-Doyle speaks (Photo: Sarnia Observer)
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- Premier Wynne greets conference attendees (Photo: Sarnia Observer)
The Cities Initiative was honored to welcome Premier Kathleen Wynne as the keynote speaker at this year's Annual Meeting and Conference. At the 2015 Annual Meeting, the Cities Initiative addressed several key issues, most notably:
- Endorsed the Western Lake Erie Collaborative Agreement, which supports a 40% reduction in phosphorus entering the Western Lake Erie Basin, and was signed by Governor Rick Snyder (Michigan), Governor John Kasich (Ohio), and Premier Kathleen Wynne (Ontario) at the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premier's leadership summit on June 13th, 2015.
- Called for accelerated action in order to be able to meet the 40% by 2025 phosphorus reduction goal
- Called for the United States and Canada to harmonize safety measures in the transportation of oil by rail
Representatives from 40 member municipalities attended the conference, as well as many representatives from NGOs and other organizations.
Media Coverage
- “Premier visits Sarnia-Lambton area” (Lambton Shield)
- “Premier promotes low-emission opportunities at cities conference” (Sarnia Observer)
- “The path to healthier Great Lakes is clear” (Detroit Free Press)
- “Water Worries” (London Free Press)
- “Twolan Named Great Lakes Chair” (Bayshore Broadcasting)
- “Sarnia convention brings together mayors from Great Lakes region, St. Lawrence River” (Sarnia Observer)
- “CN exec talks rail safety at panel discussion in Sarnia” (Sarnia Observer)
- “Collingwood Mayor Sandra Cooper attended annual meeting of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative June 17” (The Enterprise Bulletin)
- “Mayor wants one law governing ballast water” (St. Catharines Standard)
- “Sendzik calls for consistent ballast water regulations” (Niagara This Week)
- “Great Lakes mayors still opposed to burying nuclear waste near Lake Huron” (London Free Press)
Press Releases
Members Meeting Press Release (June 17, 2015)
General Conference Press Release (June 19, 2015)
Presentations
Click here to access archived presentations from the Annual Meeting. Recordings will be added soon.
Resolutions
Each year, the Cities Initiative membership passes Resolutions on topics of concern. Click here to access the 2015 Resolutions, which covered topics such as oil transportation in the Great Lakes Region, action on nutrients, and concerns about terrestrial and aquatic invasive species.
New Cities Initiative Website
Leave a CommentWelcome to the new glslcities.org! Here you will find information about the Cities Initiative, its staff and Board of Directors, and information about our current and past initiatives. If you are looking for information about our upcoming Annual Meeting (June 17-19, Sarnia, Ontario), please click here.
Our new site also includes a variety of Resources, information about upcoming Events, and News and Communications items. In the fall of 2015, our Best Practices Library (located under the “Resources” tab), will be completed in its entirety. This database will allow municipalities to search for Best Practices related to sustainability, municipal infrastructure, climate change adaptation, water conservation, and many other topics.
Our site is still under construction and will be finished in its entirety by Fall 2015. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the site or cannot find a particular piece of information, please contact Laura Bretheim, Program and Administrative Assistant, at 312-201-4518 or laura.bretheim@glslcities.org. Thank you for interest in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative!
Jordan River Partnership
Leave a CommentMayors from the Cities Initiative and from the Jordan River Valley convened at the University of Illinois, Chicago's “Water After Borders” Conference. The mayors signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a “Sister Waters” partnership between the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and EcoPeace Middle East, which represents the mayors of the Jordan River Valley.
Mayors John Dickert, Denis Lapointe, and Mitch Twolan of the Cities Initiative spoke on a panel alongside Mayor Khelife Aldyyat of Dier Allah, Jordan; Mayor Hassan Jarmi of Zubeidat, Palestine; and Mr. Ran Molho, on behalf of Mayor Yossi Vardi, of the Israeli Jordan Valley Regional Council. The mayors had the opportunity to share their challenges and experiences as elected officials in areas where clean, sustainable water resources are of vital importance to the citizens they represent.
Despite differences in language, geography, and political situation, the mayors found common ground in their shared passion for advocating on behalf of their communities for sustainable, clean water.
Left to Right: Mr. Ran Molho, Mayor Denis Lapointe, Mayor Mitch Twolan, Dr. Rachel Havrelock (organizer), Mayor Hassan Jarmi, Mayor John Dickert, Mayor Khelife Aldyyat