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5 | Friday, November 4, 2 0 1 6 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com H alton joins those opposed to G reat Lakes w ater diversion by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff_____________________________________ ill I N V E S T M E N T S WEALTH MANAGEMENT IP eterW ctsqn Halton Regional council has joined a number of other municipalities that are objecting to water from the Great Lakes being diverted to the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin. It recently voted unanimously to add its voice to the list of those against the diversion of any water outside of the Great Lakes Basin area and outside of the terms of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Water Resources Compact. Others against it include Oakville and Sault Ste. Marie councils and a group of more than 120 mayors and local officials from Canada and the U.S. advancing the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. Halton belongs to the group, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, which recently took legal action to appeal a June 21 decision in which a panel representing governors from eight Great Lakes states voted unanimously to allow Waukesha to draw roughly 30 million litres a day from Lake Michigan. The Wisconsin city of 72,000 people brought forward the proposal because its own groundwater wells are contaminated with radium. Oakville Town and Regional Councillor Sean O'Meara underlined the need to protect the water source Canadas agriculture industry relies on. "We're under threat, our Great Lakes are under threat, as we see climate change have more fluctuations, there is going to be desire to tap into 20 per cent of the world' s fresh water, which is right here in our Great Lakes," he noted. "The agreement struck by the eight states to allow Waukesha to divert close to 30 million litres a day from Lake Michigan is a threat to all the Great Lakes. I think it's very important we stand together." Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring said it sets a dangerous precedent if a municipality, such as Waukesha, was allowed to tap into waters in the lake and not have to return it. "... It would upset the ecological balance of the Great Lakes in a significant manner if other municipalities were allowed to do the same thing," he said. Council and other Great Lakes stakeholders argue the decision is contrary to the 2005 Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, which bans new water diversions from the basin except in communities located in counties straddling the water division line between the Great Lakes-St.Lawrence River Basin and other basins. The International Joint Commission has determined there is no "surplus" water in the Great Lakes, O'Meara's motion reads. T h in k in g o f R e t ir in g ... Som eday? L e t 's T a lk . Visit our website to sign up for a free consultation. Peter Watson MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, F C S I Jennifer Watson B.A. 220 Randall Street, Downtown Oakville 905-842-2100 peterwatsoninvestm ents.com Hillfield Strathallan College Learn w it h Joy. Live w it h P u rp o se . Explore you r potential with om Hillfield Strathallan College's influence on your child could be life-changing. Multiple, merit-based scholarships o f up to $10,000 are offered to students entering Grades 7 and 9. Scholarship applications are due November 25, 2016. H S C celeb rates stu d en t su cce ss th ro u gh its annual sch o la rsh ip p ro g ra m . A nnual Scholarship Program Read more a t hsc.on.ca/scholarships