Protection plan

The federal government needs to step in to protect the Great Lakes system, the mayor said during a U.S.-Canadian conference Thursday.

Keith Hobbs is one of 30 mayors attending a bi-national Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative annual meeting in Niagara Falls this week. With the U.S. government committing $475 million to help restore the water system, Hobbs said the initiative now needs Canada’s government to pledge $285 million in non-infrastructure funding to do similar things.

From erosion to Asian carp, Hobbs said there is a lot to be done to help the system, which provides more than 40 million people with drinking water.

"Asian carp would be devastating for the fishing industry and our fish habitat and the health of the lake overall," Hobbs said during a phone interview with tbnewswatch.com from the conference.

The dumping of hair care, medicine and other products into the lakes is also being discussed at the conference as well as waste water management.

Hobbs is presenting Thunder Bay’s strategy to help Lake Superior on Thursday.

He said from the city’s Earthwise strategy to its clean, green and beautiful committee, Thunder Bay is ahead of the game in restoring the lake.

"We’re doing very well and we’re getting better. We’re rethinking how we do business," he said. "Thunder Bay is in good shape and moving forward."