On Sunday, November 5, municipal elections took place for all Québec municipalities. We congratulate all candidates for their efforts and care for the democratic process. We look forward to continued work with all reelected incumbents and new mayors. We especially thank Mayor Denis Lapointe, of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, for his leadership, vision and joy over the last 14 years as a member of our Board of Directors. Mayor Lapointe did not seek reelection after 22 years as Mayor of the western Québec town.
The Urban Land Institute awarded former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley with its Lifetime Achievement award at a ceremony in Millennium Park on October 5, 2017 for his leadership in transforming the Chicago economy and developing major urban projects, creating new park space, building libraries, and adding public buildings, all in a sustainable manner. His actions to unify mayors across the world was noted, and the formation of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative was highlighted as one of his major achievements. We are grateful for his leadership on protecting and restoring the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence along with all the other mayors of the Cities Initiative.
Great Lakes stakeholders convened in Buffalo, NY on 10/17-10/19 for the Healing Our Waters conference, the annual event for the Healing Our Waters coalition (HOW). The HOW coalition consists of 145 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums, and museums who share the common goal to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Cities Initiative President/CEO John Dickert, and Program Assistant, Andrea Paine, attended the event on behalf of the organization. The conference focused on the need to continue federal funding for the Great Lakes, particularly for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and water infrastructure. To learn more, click here.
The Great Lakes Commission, along with The Nature Conservancy, recently launched the Blue Accounting website . Blue Accounting helps Great Lakes communities set shared goals and measure progress by transforming existing data into useful information. The newly launched website will provide reliable, timely, and easily understandable information to help Great Lakes leaders assess how their investments and actions are affecting the condition of our economy and natural resources in the Great Lakes region. To learn more about Blue Accounting, visit https://www.blueaccounting.org/.
US EPA continues to search for the cause of an oil leak discovered around October 26, 2017 in Bubbly Creek, a waterway just off the south branch of the Chicago River. A containment boom is being used to keep the oil contained and the US Coast Guard has closed off that area of the river. US Fish and Wildlife and US Department of Agriculture are also on the scene attending to marine and wild life. To learn more about the situation, click here.
John Dickert, President/CEO of the Cities Initiative, attended the Council of the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers (CGLGP) 2017 Leadership Summit in Windsor, Ontario October 20-22, 2017. The CGLGP is the coalition of Great Lakes governors and the premiers of Ontario and Quebec. To read a recap of the event, please visit http://www.gsgp.org/media/2011/leadership-summit-press-release-10-20-17.pdf.
Enbridge, Inc. recently disclosed that the company was aware three years ago of the damage to the protective coating in at least one location on the Enbridge Line 5, aging twin pipelines under the Strait of Mackinac. To read more, please click here.
Webinar series covering a few key topics related to WIFIA, in anticipation that another round of funding will be announced soon.
To submit a presentation proposal, due November 15, 2017, click here.