Brian Masse is a water warrior.
The Windsor West MP, who fought for a microplastics ban in Canadian consumer products, will soon receive the inaugural Water Warrior Award from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, the International Joint Commission and others.
Masse first raised the issue in 2014 when he called on the International Joint Commission to investigate the proliferation of microplastics in the Great Lakes. Three years later, Canada imposed its ban.
Masse, a frequent advocate for the health of the Great Lakes, has also pressured the federal government to increase funding to fight invasive species and, along with his NDP colleagues, demanded a new Minister of the Great Lakes in 2019.
The demand has gone unanswered.
"The Great Lakes are a global treasure unique in the world," said Masse. "It is essential Canada take a leadership role in protecting and restoring this resource that tens of millions of people and ecosystems depend on."
Masse will receive an engraved wooden porringer, an ancient shallow bowl that dates back to the Middle Ages.
He is one of 23 recipients this year, including eight MPs and Senators.
