Every Ontario student was taught the same thing on the first day of Geography class: Ontario’s Great Lakes can be remembered by the acronym, HOMES. That is, Lake Huron, Ontario, Michigan (entirely in the United States), Erie and Superior. Why is it so important for Ontarians to know their Great Lakes? Well, the Lakes are a direct connection to our economy and our way of life.
The Importance of the Great Lakes
Eight of Canada’s largest cities are located on one of the shorelines of the Great Lakes. In fact, more than 98 per cent of Ontario residents (11 million people) live within the Great Lakes Basin, which includes Toronto, Hamilton, Sarnia and Windsor. There are more than 160 Aboriginal communities that rely on fishing for food. More importantly, the people of Ontario depend on Ontario Lakes for drinking water.
The Great Lakes power Ontario industries such as water for factories, farming, pulp and paper production, commercial fisheries, and power generation. The winds from the lakes power turbines that create electricity. Deep beneath some lakes are stores of oil and natural gas. The Lakes are used for shipping iron ore, coal, and sometimes grain.
The Lakes also provide tourist attractions wit beautiful beaches, cottages, and other getaways and attractions. They are superb providers for animal and plant and aquatic species.
Several international and federal-provincial organizations manage our Great Lakes.
Lake Huron – The Middle Lake
With 30,000 islands, including Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron has the largest shoreline of all the Great Lakes but is the second largest of the Lakes (second to Lake Ontario).
Lake Huron has 3 basins, the largest of which is Georgian Bay which is one of the world’s largest Lakes. The North Channel, the main basin and Georgian Bay are rife with walleye and yellow perch. Lake Huron has the largest volume of whitefish of the Great Lakes.
Lake Ontario – The Smallest of the Great Lakes
At the eastern end of the Great Lakes lies Lake Ontario, gathering water from Lake Erie and pushing it to the St. Lawrence River (one of the longest rivers in the world). More than 8 million people live within the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River basin. In an area called the Golden Horseshow lie Ontario’s major industrial and urban centers.
Lake Ontario supports commercial fishing for a number of different fish for commercial and sports fishing. Fishery management projects are beginning to focus heavily on preserving many of the species that are dying off due to toxic chemical releases into the Lake. Conditions have improved and some species have made spectacular comebacks, but many others are still struggling.
Lake Michigan – The American Lake
Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes that is located entirely in the United States.
Lake Erie – The Shallow Lake
About 12 million people live within the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair basins. Lake St. Clair is located between Lakes Erie and Huron. Although Erie is one of the Great Lakes, it is not considered a “great lake.” With only one urban centre – Windsor – on the Canadian side, “our” lake faces the greatest pressures from human use to aquatic-invading species. However, every year, Lake Erie accounts for more than 80 per cent of the total contributions to commercial fishery. As well, about 25 million pounds of high-quality fish are shipped to markets in Ontario, the US and Europe every year.
Lake Superior – The Largest Lake in Canada
The most northern Lake, Superior is the deepest and coldest Lake of the Great Lakes. Lake Superior is also the largest freshwater lake in the world. There are plethoras of fishing opportunities on the Lake, whether sporting or commercial fishing. However, just as the other Great Lakes, Superior is in danger of losing species due to toxic chemicals and shoreline habitation. Superior’s shores touch Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie – the most densely populated areas on Lake Superior’s shores.
