My local paper had a small story http://www.thestar.com/news/article/871296–cousteau-s-granddaughter-wants-to-talk-to-you-about-water about the Costeau visit to my city. It is always good when someone raises awareness about water, especially in one’s own backyard.
Alexandra Cousteau says people “should be able to have water resources in our community that are fishable, swimmable, drinkable and enjoyable and a lot of the people we talked to don’t have that relationship to Lake Ontario.” IAN KELLETT/BLUE LEGACY
Cousteau’s granddaughter wants to talk to you about water
Published On Wed Oct 06 2010
Alexandra Cousteau says people “should be able to have water resources in our community that are fishable, swimmable, drinkable and enjoyable and a lot of the people we talked to don’t have that relationship to Lake Ontario.”
By Marianne Takacs Staff Reporter
Alexandra Cousteau wants to hear Toronto’s story.
The 34-year-old granddaughter of renowned marine ecologist and environmental activist Jacques Cousteau is in the city on the Canadian leg of a 23,000 km journey examining water issues across North America.
Expedition Blue Planet has already explored the watersheds around the Colorado River, Gulf of Mexico and Tennessee Valley, and is investigating urban water issues in Toronto before heading out along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
“There’s this extraordinary watershed and beautiful city on the banks of a beautiful lake and yet a lot of the people we talked to, they’re afraid to go swimming in it,” said Cousteau in an interview Tuesday. “That’s a shame. We should be able to have water resources in our community that are fishable, swimmable, drinkable and enjoyable and a lot of the people we talked to don’t have that relationship to Lake Ontario.”
Cousteau and her team will spend just over three weeks in Canada filming “water stories” about what they discover, meeting with local watershed preservation organizations and hosting public events. Their journey is being chronicled in blogs, videos and photos on the Expedition Blue Planet website. The goal, she explained, is not just to raise awareness of the threats facing our freshwater ecosystem but also to get people talking and doing something about them.
“A lot of people know about a lot of stuff and they don’t necessarily do anything about it,” she said. “We’re hoping that by telling these stories we’ll actually inspire people to take action.”
In Toronto, Cousteau and her team are looking at the relationship between residents, the urban environment and Lake Ontario, and examining issues such as waterfront development and access to the lake. The groups they’re working with here include Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, a member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and dedicated to preserving and protecting water resources.
Cousteau will also be connecting with ordinary citizens at free public “meet and greet” events today from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. at the RBC Centre on Simcoe St. between Wellington and Front Sts; from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. at Royal Bank Plaza (North Tower) on the southwest corner of Bay and Wellington Sts; and at a 9:30 p.m. comedy gala hosted by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper at Bread and Circus at 299 Augusta Ave. in Kensington Market.
Tags: water
