- Good evening, everyone.
- Thank you to Mayor Ryan Sorenson, of Sheboygan, Wisconsin for that incredibly kind introduction !
- I am deeply honored to stand here tonight to accept the Impact Award.
- To be recognized by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative—an organization that represents the collective voice of over 425 communities—is truly humbling.
- While my name may be on this award, the impact we are celebrating tonight is never the result of one person’s work.
- It is the result of the tireless efforts of our municipal staff,
- our Indigenous partners, and the environmental advocates
- who understand that our shorelines do not stop at jurisdictional borders.
- In Toronto, we often look out at Lake Ontario and see it as the heart of our city.
- But through this alliance, we are reminded that it is part of a much larger, more vital circulatory system that sustains 40 million people.
- This year’s conference and our focus on the Fresh Coast Economic Corridor is a testament to how far we’ve come.
- We are proving every day that environmental stewardship and economic transformation are not competing interests—they are two sides of the same coin.
- As we look toward the implementation of the Economic Transformation Action Plan, our work is only beginning.
- We must continue to champion innovative solutions for water quality and ensure that our “Fresh Coast” remains a source of prosperity for current and future generations.
- Thank you again to the Cities Initiative for this incredible honor.
- Let’s continue to work together to protect these waters that define our region and our future.
- Thank you, Merci Beaucoup, Chi Migweetch!
Stories And Pictures About Life in Toronto From A City Councillor