Unified vision for Lake Nipissing discussed at Summit

Leaders and community members from Nipissing and area came together with a common interest to share concerns and gain a better understanding of the issues facing Lake Nipissing at the Lake Nipissing Summit, April 3 and 4, at Nipissing University.
Educational presentations led by scientists, First Nations and community members contributed knowledge for group discussions on the second day. The conversations will be compiled into a report that will be provided to leaders to help them develop an action plan.

The initial vision, created by community leaders, provided a starting point for the Summit. It states ‘Lake Nipissing, our great lake, is a cherished source of nature’s abundance and beauty. Together, we promise to protect this gift and to ensure future generations inherit a healthy, sustainable environment.’

“The Summit was an opportunity for people to share and question their perspectives. The next step is to use the information gleaned over the two days to formulate an action plan that we can collaborate on to move forward,” stated Nipissing University interim president, Vicky Paine-Mantha.

The connections made at the Summit were invaluable. When Nipissing University student Jamie Lavigne presented her research on Blue-Green Algae, she discovered, in conversation with the Mayor of the Municipality of St. Charles, Paul Schoppmann, that their residents also had concerns about the algae and had been collecting samples.

“The Summit is a building block for what needs to be done,” said Lavigne. “I’m interested in going down to St. Charles to get samples. Building partnerships like this are so important to the research being conducted and everyone is very willing to help.”

The day finished with a discussion of common themes. The overall impression was that the Summit should happen again and an action plan should be developed.

“We haven’t finished, we’ve just begun,” said Nipissing First Nations Chief, Marianna Couchie. “I’ve witnessed us come together and have spoken about our heartfelt passions. There will be a report created from the Summit and in the immediate future we will call the leaders together and develop a suggested action plan and it send back to the group. We will commit to action.”

The presentations along with a report of the Summit discussions will be posted to the website in the near future:www.lakenipissingsummit.ca?