St. Lawrence River agreements
The Canada-Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence
The Canada-Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence is renewed every five years. The governments of Canada and Quebec committed to renew their partnership until 2026. The continued collaboration between the governments of Quebec and Canada and the nineteen departments and agencies involved will allow for concerted action for the health and the protection of the St. Lawrence.
To ensure that SLAP remains dynamic, the governments have adapted their intervention strategies several times under successive collaboration agreements. In 2011, the governments of Canada and Quebec committed to the latest phase of the St. Lawrence Action Plan. The fifteen-year agreement is the longest to date, demonstrating that the commitment of all parties to the protection and restoration of the St. Lawrence continues to be important.
Phase V - 2011 to present
From 2011 to the present day, experts from both governments have been working on a number of projects involving the St. Lawrence. These projects aim at conserving the biodiversity of the St. Lawrence, improving the quality of its waters and ensuring the sustainability of its uses. The creation of various programs has made it possible to monitor changes in the state of the St. Lawrence and to draw up a portrait of it, in addition to designing tools to better understand the river and the impact of our activities on its condition. Organizations have continued their integrated resource management work, while riverside communities have taken charge of some sixty projects that have reduced threats and improved several sectors of the St. Lawrence.
This collaborative effort has resulted in remarkable progress in improving the state of the St. Lawrence and its riparian zones. However, the work must continue. Over the past thirty years, the state of the St. Lawrence has improved. However, the new knowledge acquired thanks to SLAP shows that it is an ecosystem with a fragile equilibrium. Scientists, politicians, economic players and citizens must work together to continue improving the quality of the St. Lawrence. It's a big challenge, and SLAP is a tool to help us meet it.
This agreement is aimed at continuing the work while adapting to the emerging issues facing the St. Lawrence, including the fight against invasive exotic species, habitat loss, agricultural pollution, the impact of climate change and the presence of pharmaceutical products in the St. Lawrence. The governments of Canada and Quebec are pursuing their efforts to jointly meet these challenges with the same zeal that has motivated them over the past 30 years.
Working together
The St. Lawrence Action Plan 2011-2026 is based on pooling the efforts and resources of various departments and agencies of the governments of Canada and Quebec. It aims to implement value-added projects and achieve collective results.
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Impact Assessment Agency of Canada
- Parks Canada
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- Canadian Space Agency
- Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Health Canada
- Public Services and Procurement Canada
- Transport Canada
- Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation (Information only available in French)
- Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (Information only available in French)
- Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques
- Ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources naturelles
- Natural Resources and Forests
- Minister of Public Security
- Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
- Ministère du Tourisme (Information only available in French)
- Ministère des Transports
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