Share Your Perspectives on Canada, US Great Lakes Water Quality Progress with the International Joint Commission

Press Release

February 3, 2026

WINDSOR, Ontario: Starting today through Friday, April 3, 2026, the comment period is open for the public to share their perspectives on Great Lakes water quality with the International Joint Commission (IJC).

The online platform GLperspectives.ijc.org offers options for registered users to submit written, audio or video comments and includes details for the IJC’s listening session at the upcoming Great Lakes Public Forum and series of virtual public meetings. Registration to submit comments is required, free, and open to the public.

Canada and the United States work together through the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to keep the Great Lakes clean and healthy. As an independent advisor to the governments of Canada and the United States, the IJC is responsible under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to assess the governments’ progress towards the Agreement’s goals for drinkable, fishable, swimmable Great Lakes.

Every three years, Canada and the United States publish self-report cards on their activities and the status of the lakes. The Canada Water Agency and the US Environmental Protection Agency will discuss the latest State of the Great Lakes Report and Progress Report of the Parties at their Great Lakes Public Forum on February 4 and 5, 2026, online and at the USEPA Great Lakes National Program Office in Chicago, Illinois. For more on the governments’ Public Forum, visit binational.net.

Input on governments’ progress from the public and First Nations, Métis and Tribal communities is another crucial aspect of the IJC’s assessment. The IJC listens to feedback from the public and Indigenous communities, synthesizes comments, and uses that input to help inform recommendations to the Canadian and US governments. The IJC’s assessment and recommendations will be summarized in its Fourth Triennial Assessment of Progress (TAP) report.

In addition to submitting written, audio or video comments to the GLperspectives.ijc.org platform, the IJC is hosting events for participants to comment on the Canadian and US governments’ progress report. Visit GLperspectives.ijc.org for registration and details on these activities in 2026, including:

• February 5: IJC listening session at the Great Lakes Public Forum (Chicago, IL and online: visit binational.net)
• February 19: “Many Perspectives: Why sharing your stories helps the IJC assess Canada-US Great Lakes water quality progress” (bilingual English and French), 6 pm ET broadcast on GLperspectives.ijc.org.
• Public Input Webinar Series (register at: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oWFdJH7HQB6NKvDiz-Y06w):
  • February 24, 6 pm ET: Perspectives on Working with Great Lakes Fish
  • February 25, 11:30 am ET: Perspectives on Working with Algal Blooms in the Great Lakes
  • March 11, 11:30 am ET: Perspectives on Engaging with the Great Lakes Coasts
  • March 24, 6 pm ET: Perspectives on Restoration in Great Lakes Communities
  • March 25, 11:30 am ET: Perspectives on Engaging in Great Lakes Participatory Science

Contacts:

Quick Facts:

• To monitor the Canadian and US governments’ progress fulfilling the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement objectives, the IJC prepares a Triennial Assessment of Progress (TAP) report, documenting the progress of government programs and activities and providing recommendations to governments.
• An essential part of the IJC’s assessment responsibilities is gathering and summarizing public input on the governments’ Progress Report of the Parties (PROP) report. All public input opportunities are detailed at GLperspectives.ijc.org.
• The Canadian and US governments jointly publish the Progress Report of the Parties (PROP) report, which summarizes the programs, policies and activities the governments accomplished in the last three years.
• The IJC’s online platform also features a Great Lakes Photo Showcase, where the public can submit and cast votes on photography on themes including Great Lakes Water in Action, Recreation, and Research, Education and Science.

Associated Links:

• GLperspectives.ijc.org online platform for public comments
• 2025 Progress Report of the Parties (authored by Canada and the United States)
• Canadian and US governments’ Great Lakes Public Forum
• Learn more about the IJC’s Triennial Assessment of Progress

The IJC was established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help the governments of Canada and the United States prevent and resolve disputes over the use of the waters they share. By evaluating efforts to restore the Great Lakes ecosystem, engaging the public on their perspectives of Great Lakes health and completing its own research on issues facing the lakes, the IJC assesses the effectiveness of government programs to meet the agreement’s goals and objectives.

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