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By Angelica Morrison
The health of the Great Lakes and its watershed will be the focal point of series of meetings taking place throughout the month of March.
The International Joint Commission announced the dates and the times of its planned public hearings on the Great Lakes. The IJC is advises both the US and Canada on issues concerning the Great Lakes.
The organization released its draft assessment in January. It outlined several broad concerns about the health of the Great Lakes.
In addition to addressing some of the key findings on that draft report, Lana Pollack, the chairperson for the IJC’s US section, said the event is a time for the community to come together and to let the organization know what issues are important to them.
"We’re going to be listening to local concerns that are particular to that area," she said. "But it will also be interesting to see how much these different areas have in common."
The public meetings will take place in various cities along the Great Lakes basin, tackling topics specific to each city and their surrounding regions.
International Joint Commission Public Meeting Listing
Ontario and Michigan Public Meeting
- TIME: 6 pm
- DATE: March 2
- PLACE: Delta Hotels by Marriott, 208 St. Mary’s River Drive, Sault Ste . Marie, Ontario
Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario Roundtable and Public Meeting
- TIME: Roundtable discussion from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. public meeting at 6 p.m.
- DATE: March 21
- PLACE: Michigan Department of Natural Resources Adventure Center, 1801 Atwater, Detroit, MI
Sarnia , Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan Public Roundtable
- TIME: 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- DATE: March 22
- PLACE: Lochiel Kiwanis Community Centre, 180 North College Avenue, Sarnia , Ontario
Toledo, Ohio Public Meeting University of Toledo
- TIME: 6 pm
- DATE: March 23
- PLACE: Lake Erie Center, 6200 Bay Shore Road, Oregon, OH
Buffalo, New York Roundtable and Public Meeting
- TIME: Roundtable discussion from 1:30 p.m.– 4:30 p.m. , public meeting at 6:00 pm
- DATE: March 28
- PLACE: WNED-WBFO Studio, 140 Lower Terrace, Buffalo New York
St. Catharines , Ontario and Niagara Falls Public Roundtable
- TIME: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- DATE: March 29
- PLACE: Alumni Hall, St. Catharines Rowing Club, Henley Island, 600 Ontario Street, St. Catharines , Ontario