Our Impact to Date                     Events and Activities with Impact

To realize our commitment to the rescue and revitalization of Lake Simcoe and
its Watershed, we focus on public awareness and encourage shifts in thinking to
action. To back up our strategies we commission research and implement educational
initiatives. Since we are a bridge and not a governmental lobby group we are
pleased with our success in making public awareness a driver for government action.

Awareness and Fundraising

• our “cheeky but not cheesy” 2006 calendar together with the stunning 2009
  calendar created unprecedented awareness about Lake Simcoe’s health
  challenges and raised over $400 000
• The Naked Truth Summer of Events brought together over 300 citizens from
  the Lake Simcoe watershed to create The Naked Truth Citizens' Action Plan
  to Save Lake Simcoe.
  This plan is now a widely used tool for developing ideas and policies and was
  a major source for the WASTEFILMS initiative launched summer 2009 in partnership
  with Windfall Ecology Centre and the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority.

Research

• With our partners at Windfall Ecology Centre, we produced a research report,
  The Naked Truth: Behind the Science of Lake Simcoe which consolidated and
  simplified scientific issues about Lake Simcoe in terms by which ordinary
  people could understand the issues.
  
  
• Whales in Lake Simcoe researched what youth in the watershed are learning
  about the environment and the ecology of Lake Simcoe. 
  

Lake Recovery Projects

•   The Wave, Healthy Yards/ Healthy Waters last year undertook a
    shoreline naturalization demonstration project to show homeowners how
    good home and shoreline practices can help protect lake water quality.

Government Action

• The success of the Ladies of the Lake public awareness building has been
  recognized in both the Ontario and federal legislatures. This has created a
  groundswell of interest and opened the doors to meetings at Queen’s Park,
  with federal ministers and municipal leaders to discuss Lake Simcoe.
  The federal government has included Lake Simcoe in a New National Water
  Strategy and committed $30 million towards the rehabilitation of the Lake.
  At the Lake Simcoe Summit the Ontario premier promised to create a
  Lake Simcoe Protection Act and this work is underway.
• On Dec 10, 2008 the Lake Simcoe Protection Act was passed by the
  Ontario Legislature. Citizen participation at the open houses and community
  partnership workshops has resulted in suggestions for making the Lake
  Simcoe Protection Plan stronger to better protect our  Lake. Visit
  http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/campaignlakesimcoe/pub/PlanForSuccessFinal.pdf
  for their summary of the citizens' response.
  The government released the final version of the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan 
  in May 2009