Lake Ontario is a biological gem. This globally significant freshwater ecosystem is home to a wealth of wildlife, including hundreds of fish, birds, and plants. As the Great Lakes gateway to the St. Lawrence River, every single drop of the system’s freshwater flows through Lake Ontario.

From the majestic thunder of water tumbling from the towering apex of Niagara Falls to the hundreds of ghostly historical shipwrecks that lie forgotten upon the lakebed many meters down, Lake Ontario is a sight to behold from top to bottom.

It makes sense that the province of Ontario was named for this incredible lake—Niigani-gichigami, Oniatarí:io, the lake of shining waters—rather than the lake being named for the province.

Lake Ontario has been stewarded by several First Nations for millennia, and is still to this day. The Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabe, and Huron-Wendat have ancestral ties to these waters and continue to exercise their inherent and treaty rights on the waters.

Despite being the smallest of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is the most urban and populous. This means that it is also the most vulnerable of all the Great Lakes. The lake and its inhabitants, people and animals alike, are threatened by pollution, habitat degradation, wetland loss, invasive species, and climate change.

Lake Ontario is home to rare species, and 243 species at risk such as Blanding’s Turtle, Piping Plover, and Deepwater Sculpin. Since 2015, the number of species at risk in Ontario rose to 243, marking an eight percent increase. 

Despite its ecological value and endangered species, Lake Ontario is one of the least protected Great Lakes. That’s why Nature Canada is on a mission to establish a National Marine Conservation Area in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario. You can help by telling the government you want more protection for Lake Ontario. Add your voice to take action today!