Collingwood Harbour in Ontario, Canada, was once so degraded that it was named a Great Lakes area of concern in 1987. Heavy metals contaminated its sediment, nuisance algae spread through its water, and fish habitat was lost. Restoration followed as 7,300 cubic metres of contaminated sediment were cleaned up, sewage treatment was improved, wetlands were protected, and new spawning beds and shoreline habitat were created. Fish species such as yellow pickerel and northern pike returned after an absence of more than thirty years. Read on to learn what was removed, what was rebuilt, who helped, and why it still matters today.
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