Owen Sound City Council Endorses the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Economic Transformation Initiative

The City of Owen Sound is pleased to announce its support for the transformative initiative to develop the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin into a leading example of a blue-green economic corridor. 

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a binational coalition of more than 244 municipal and regional U.S. and Canadian mayors and local officials working to advance the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. The Cities Initiative and local officials integrate environmental, economic, and social agendas and sustain a resource that represents approximately 20 per cent of the world’s surface freshwater supply, provides drinking water for 40 million people, and is the foundation upon which a strong regional economy is based.   

Members of the Cities Initiative work together with other orders of government and stakeholders to improve infrastructure, programs, and services and increase investments that protect and restore this globally significant freshwater resource. 

The City of Owen Sound is dedicated to balancing economic growth with environmental preservation. Over the next year, the Mayor's Commission on Economic Transformation will consult with member municipalities and government agencies to draft the Action Plan. This detailed plan will include strategies for industrial, energy, transportation, and waterfront transformations to support economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability. The City looks forward to participating in this process and leveraging its unique position to influence positive changes across the basin and beyond. 

Owen Sound's support for this initiative aligns with its ongoing efforts toward innovation, sustainable infrastructure development, tourism development, and waterfront revitalization. 

Click here to read more about the vision of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

For more information, please contact Paul McGrath, Manager of Community & Business Development at 519-376-4440 ext. 1254 or email pmcgrath@owensound.ca 

Quick Facts: 

• City Council has given its support to an ambitious plan aimed at developing the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin into a leading blue-green economic corridor.  
• The Mayor's Commission on Economic Transformation will consult with various stakeholders over the next year to draft the Action Plan for the period 2025-2035, which will focus on industrial, energy, transportation, and waterfront transformations. 
• The blue-green economy combines the sustainable use of aquatic (blue) and terrestrial (green) resources to drive economic growth, improve livelihoods, and ensure environmental sustainability. 

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