HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-06-24, Page 16Page A16 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, June 24, 2009
RENEWED HEALTH
Registered Massage Therapy
is MOVING on June 29th to:
300 Suncoast Dr.
Goderich
REOPENING on July 2nd
Courtney Henry Diane Rozendaal Raegan Pollock Carmen Espensen
Located in the Suncoast Mall, Goderich (across from Mark's
Work Warehouse) welcomes back from maternity leave
Courtney Henry and new Stylist Diane Rozendaal. Along with
Raegan Pollock and owner Carmen Espensen, the fully staffed
salon welcomes new customers and thank all Montage clientele
for their past, present and future loyal business. Our Eufora
hair products are all natural aloe based from California and we
now offer a new make-up line of Eva Garden cosmetics to sup-
ply your beauty needs: Our flexible hours are sure to accommo-
• date your busy schedule. •
For an appointment, call 519-524-7629. Walk-ins are always
welcome.
Vo#trale where artistry & innovation meet
Lambton College is brim our programs and services to you, in
Wingtlaml Vistt us at the' Knights of Columbus and speak to staff. faculty
and students, vein prtzes and have o look at some of aur interactive displays.
Whether you are kroktrig to upgrade your skills, starting a new career or
graduating high school this interactive event is o great place to start'
•
Canadian, American Mayors come
together on Great Lakes water quality
At the sixth annual Great Lakes
and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
Meeting in Trois-Rivieres, Que-
bec, Mayors congratulated the
U.S. and Canadian Federal gov-
ernments for agreeing to negotiate
a new Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement (GLWQA). The Great
Lakes mayors called forthe new
Agreement to be in. place by June
of 2010 and for local government
to be included as full partners in
the negotiation and implementa-
tion of the agreement.
Mayor Deb Shewfett represent-
ed Goderich at the meeting, and
stressed that municipalities are
often the ones leading the charge.
"I am very pleased with the ac-
tion we've taken at this year's An-
nual Meeting on the Water Qual-
ity Agreement," said Shewfelt.
"Local government continues to
be a catalyst for change and ac-
tion on the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence. River."
"These magnificent lakes are
now facing more complex threats
than were ever considered 25
years ago," said Toronto Mayor
David Miller, Founding Canadian
Chair of the Cities Initiative. "A
new agreement must be forward-
looking, results -oriented and ad-
dress new threats to the lakes."
The GLWQA is the primary
agreement between Canada and
the United States to restore and
maintain the chemical, physical
and biological integrity of the
Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem.
Last amended in 1987, the agree-
ment fails to address some of the
most serious threats to the Great
Lakes that have developed over
the last 25 years, such as emerg-
ing toxic chemicals, aquatic inva-
sive species and climate change.
"This announcement is good
news for cities surrounding the
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Riv-
er," said Chicago Mayor Richard
M. Daley, Founding U.S. Chair of
the Cities Initiative. "Cities have
led by example on protecting and
preserving our natural resources
and we look forward to continu-
ing to be part of this important
Mayor Deb Shewfelt
process."
The mayors expect that they
will be included in the negotia-
tion and implementation of a new
agreement given that, collective-
ly, local governments are the larg-
est financial contributor to Great
Lakes protection and directly
implement many of the actions
that protect and restore the lakes.
A recent survey found that local
governments spend an estimated
$15 billion annually to protect
and restore the Great Lakes and
St. Lawrence River.
Local government involvement
is also expected on the implemen-
tation of the law that was recently
passed by the Quebec National
Assembly, an Act to affirm the
collective nature of water re-
sources and provide for increased
water resource protection within
the province. Mayors of the Cities
Initiative anticipate a partnership
between local government and
the province in order to realize
the objectives of the Act.
"Cities are very happy to see
the Quebec Government's law on
increased water resource protec-
tion," said Mayor Denis Lapointe,
Vice Chair of the Cities Initiative.
"We are fully -prepared and ea-
ger to partner with the provincial
government to ensure the waters
of the St. Lawrence River are pro-
tected and managed in a sustain-
able manner."
Mayors of the Cities Initiative
also launched a new program to-
day to help keep pharmaceuticals
and personal care products out of
the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence
River. The Cities Initiative Phar-
maceuticals and Personal Care
Products Framework tracks the-
volume
hevolume of pharmaceuticals and
personal care products collected
by municipalities and assists lo-
cal government with improving
their local collection and disposal
efforts where there is an absence
of adequate action by manufac-
turers, retailers and other govern-
ments. Eleven member cities col-
lected close to 700,000 pounds of
pharmaceuticals and personal care
products in the year 2008 alone.
"Local government has prov-
en its leadership on the issue of
proper collection and disposal
of pharmaceuticals and personal
care products," said Mayor of
Thunder Bay and Cities Initiative
past Chair Lynn Peterson. "May-
ors would like to see increased
producer accountability for their
products, including the collection
and disposal of pharmaceutical
and personal care products."
The Mayors are also calling for
the federal governments in both
countries to review the need for
increased environmental testing
of drugs as part of federal drug
or chemical approval processes in
Canada and the U.S.
"While we are fortunate to have
effective medication to protect us
from illness, we must be mindful
of their effect on our waterways
and our drinking water," said
Mayor George Heartwell of Grand
Rapids, the new Chair of the Cit-
ies Initiative. "Like other chemi-
cals, pharmaceuticals and person-
al care products should be subject
to an environmental review to de-
termine their potential impact •on
the natural environment, particu-
larly our waterways"
To see proceedings from the
2009 Cities Initiative Annual
Member Meeting and Confer-
ence, please visit www.glslcities.
org/annua12009.htm.