Hamilton Harbour : Lake Ontario

There was a notable increase in rotting algae in the harbour and along the entire waterfront with a noticeable putrid odor. Before leaving the site, I noticed someone from the local paper, The Hamilton Spectator and I spoke with her briefly about the state of the harbour. She reported the city has not been very forthcoming about issues affecting the local watershed including overflow of untreated sewage entering the water, the overwhelming presence of Blue-green algae in the harbour. On Sept 19th, The Spectator posted an article about the condition of the harbour including picture and a short video where I commented about my concerns. On September 20th, the Spectator included the article in the local paper with updates from Eric Matthews, manager of safe water, City of Hamilton and a statement from Dan McKinnon, Public Works, City of Hamilton noting that issue with Blue-green algae growth was uniquely bad, and that his office is attempting to find a contractor to try skimming and vacuuming up the worst of the rotting algae from strategic locations.