Canada’s minister of environment and climate change brought her government’s sunny ways, if not new cash, to Hamilton Harbour on Friday as she and other politicians celebrated the start of the long-awaited capping of Randle Reef.
Catherine McKenna initially characterized her government’s $46.3 million contribution to the $138.9-million cleanup as a new commitment, but backtracked when an assistant corrected her after a reporter questioned the assertion.
The slip-up didn’t blunt the Ottawa-Centre MP’s enthusiasm for the seven-year project, the first phase of which will create a 6.2-hectare containment area for the reef’s sediment, contaminated with industrial toxins like coal tar and heavy metals.
McKenna, who is a Hamilton native, said the cleanup will remove enough sediment to fill a big-league hockey arena three times and is the last major step in delisting the harbour as the worst area of concern on Canada’s side of the Great Lakes.
“That’s a really important achievement,” McKenna told a gathering on the Hamilton Harbour Queen that included federal, provincial and local politicians as well as veterans of efforts to delist the harbour.
“I’m really proud that we’re doing this, not only because it’s important for our environment, but it’s also going to bring great economic benefits to the city,” she said. “The environment and the economy go hand in hand. It’s not an and/or.”
Glen Murray, Ontario’s minister of the environment and climate change, called the cleanup an example of “three orders of government working hand-in-glove.”
The province is also covering a third of the project’s costs, with the balance to be shared by the cities of Hamilton and Burlington, Halton Region, the Hamilton Port Authority and U.S. Steel.
“We’ve each come to the table without much fuss or muss to solve a problem together, to work together,” Murray said.
Chris McLaughlin, executive director of the Bay Area Restoration Council, said the project’s startup is “a red-letter day,” but monitoring after its completion will ultimately determine if the containment has worked.
He said people also shouldn’t think the project is the solution to all the harbour’s pollution woes.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” he said. “Randle Reef doesn’t solve all the remaining problems. It solves one really huge problem.”
While she may not have had more cash for Randle Reef, McKenna didn’t come empty-handed, announcing her government will spend $948,000 on the HCMS Haida National Historic Site at Pier 9.
She said the money will help repair the naval destroyer’s gun decks, bulkheads, radar tower and bridge to honour its role as “Canada’s most fightingest ship” in time for the country’s sesquicentennial celebrations next year.
This story has been updated from a previous version.
Canada’s minister of environment and climate change brought her government’s sunny ways, if not new cash, to Hamilton Harbour on Friday as she and other politicians celebrated the start of the long-awaited capping of Randle Reef.
Catherine McKenna initially characterized her government’s $46.3 million contribution to the $138.9-million cleanup as a new commitment, but backtracked when an assistant corrected her after a reporter questioned the assertion.
The slip-up didn’t blunt the Ottawa-Centre MP’s enthusiasm for the seven-year project, the first phase of which will create a 6.2-hectare containment area for the reef’s sediment, contaminated with industrial toxins like coal tar and heavy metals.
McKenna, who is a Hamilton native, said the cleanup will remove enough sediment to fill a big-league hockey arena three times and is the last major step in delisting the harbour as the worst area of concern on Canada’s side of the Great Lakes.
“That’s a really important achievement,” McKenna told a gathering on the Hamilton Harbour Queen that included federal, provincial and local politicians as well as veterans of efforts to delist the harbour.
“I’m really proud that we’re doing this, not only because it’s important for our environment, but it’s also going to bring great economic benefits to the city,” she said. “The environment and the economy go hand in hand. It’s not an and/or.”
Glen Murray, Ontario’s minister of the environment and climate change, called the cleanup an example of “three orders of government working hand-in-glove.”
The province is also covering a third of the project’s costs, with the balance to be shared by the cities of Hamilton and Burlington, Halton Region, the Hamilton Port Authority and U.S. Steel.
“We’ve each come to the table without much fuss or muss to solve a problem together, to work together,” Murray said.
Chris McLaughlin, executive director of the Bay Area Restoration Council, said the project’s startup is “a red-letter day,” but monitoring after its completion will ultimately determine if the containment has worked.
He said people also shouldn’t think the project is the solution to all the harbour’s pollution woes.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” he said. “Randle Reef doesn’t solve all the remaining problems. It solves one really huge problem.”
While she may not have had more cash for Randle Reef, McKenna didn’t come empty-handed, announcing her government will spend $948,000 on the HCMS Haida National Historic Site at Pier 9.
She said the money will help repair the naval destroyer’s gun decks, bulkheads, radar tower and bridge to honour its role as “Canada’s most fightingest ship” in time for the country’s sesquicentennial celebrations next year.
This story has been updated from a previous version.
Canada’s minister of environment and climate change brought her government’s sunny ways, if not new cash, to Hamilton Harbour on Friday as she and other politicians celebrated the start of the long-awaited capping of Randle Reef.
Catherine McKenna initially characterized her government’s $46.3 million contribution to the $138.9-million cleanup as a new commitment, but backtracked when an assistant corrected her after a reporter questioned the assertion.
The slip-up didn’t blunt the Ottawa-Centre MP’s enthusiasm for the seven-year project, the first phase of which will create a 6.2-hectare containment area for the reef’s sediment, contaminated with industrial toxins like coal tar and heavy metals.
McKenna, who is a Hamilton native, said the cleanup will remove enough sediment to fill a big-league hockey arena three times and is the last major step in delisting the harbour as the worst area of concern on Canada’s side of the Great Lakes.
“That’s a really important achievement,” McKenna told a gathering on the Hamilton Harbour Queen that included federal, provincial and local politicians as well as veterans of efforts to delist the harbour.
“I’m really proud that we’re doing this, not only because it’s important for our environment, but it’s also going to bring great economic benefits to the city,” she said. “The environment and the economy go hand in hand. It’s not an and/or.”
Glen Murray, Ontario’s minister of the environment and climate change, called the cleanup an example of “three orders of government working hand-in-glove.”
The province is also covering a third of the project’s costs, with the balance to be shared by the cities of Hamilton and Burlington, Halton Region, the Hamilton Port Authority and U.S. Steel.
“We’ve each come to the table without much fuss or muss to solve a problem together, to work together,” Murray said.
Chris McLaughlin, executive director of the Bay Area Restoration Council, said the project’s startup is “a red-letter day,” but monitoring after its completion will ultimately determine if the containment has worked.
He said people also shouldn’t think the project is the solution to all the harbour’s pollution woes.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” he said. “Randle Reef doesn’t solve all the remaining problems. It solves one really huge problem.”
While she may not have had more cash for Randle Reef, McKenna didn’t come empty-handed, announcing her government will spend $948,000 on the HCMS Haida National Historic Site at Pier 9.
She said the money will help repair the naval destroyer’s gun decks, bulkheads, radar tower and bridge to honour its role as “Canada’s most fightingest ship” in time for the country’s sesquicentennial celebrations next year.
This story has been updated from a previous version.