Protecting and Restoring Great Lakes Coastal Areas


Protecting and restoring critically important Great Lakes coastal areas is a priority under the Government of Canada’s Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative.

Aerial view of the Carruthers Creek shoreline

This initiative aims to support and promote local action to enhance water quality, ecosystem health, and the climate resilience of coastal areas.

Since its launch in 2024, the Canada Water Agency (CWA) has been working to share and mobilize knowledge across the Great Lakes region with support from Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

2025 Annual Coastal Symposium

Held in October 2025, this webinar showcased ten new projects that were awarded funding through the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative to restore and protect critically important coastal areas in 2025-2026.

More than 100 people attended from across the Great Lakes.

View the Webinar Recording

View the Webinar Slides

Select the thumbnail below to download the slides.

Protecting and Restoring Critically Important Great Lakes Coastal Areas - webinar slides

2024 Annual Coastal Symposium

Held in November 2024, this inaugural symposium brought together more than 80 people from across the Canadian Great Lakes for a day of learning and collaboration.

It featured 13 presentations, including presentations on each of the nine projects that were awarded multi-year funding to restore and protect critically important coastal areas in 2024-2025.

aerial view of a coastal wetland area

View Symposium Slides, Summary Report
& Highlights Summary

Select the thumbnails below to download the documents.

Protecting and Restorating Critically Important Great Lakes Coastal Areas - symposium slides
Symposium slides

Protecting and Restorating Critically Important Great Lakes Coastal Areas - summary report
Summary report
Protecting and Restorating Critically Important Great Lakes Coastal Areas - summary highlights
Highlights summary

Contact

  • For questions about this webpage, please contact TRCA Watershed Planning and Ecosystem Science: wpes@trca.ca.
  • For questions about the Government of Canada’s Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative, please contact: GreatLakes-GrandsLacs@cwa-aec.gc.ca.