Island residents firm in protesting proposal to divert Great Lakes water →

The Manitoulin Express, April 6, 2016
Author: Alicia McCutcheon

A number of Manitoulin residents, organizations as well as Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha and Chief Isadore Day of the Chiefs of Ontario submitted comments either through the province or to the Waukesha diversion website directly.

Therese Trainor of Kagawong urged the Regional Body to “just say no!” with some of her reasoning including: “the request has inflated future water demand estimates; water will be used for localized industrial purposes; reasonable alternatives to pumping water from Lake Michigan exist; and Waukesha has done little to conserve water and its conservation plan is inadequate.”

Diane Moggy stated her comments on the website as well. “I was born and raised on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron,” she writes. “I completely oppose the diversion of water to the state of Wisconsin from Lake Michigan. The Great Lakes system is a delicately balanced eco-system that should not be tampered with, particularly when there appears to be a cost-efficient plan on the table that would avoid diverting water from Lake Michigan.”