Federal government says funding has restored threatened frog’s habitat in Quebec

MONTREAL — Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says $8.2-million spent since 2022 has successfully restored several Quebec wetlands inhabited by the threatened western chorus frog.

Guilbeault said in a news release today the money from the Canada Nature Fund has brought new life to wetlands in the Montérégie region, south of Montreal, and in western Quebec’s Outaouais region.

The money given to Nature-Action Québec, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada has allowed the organizations to protect dozens of hectares of green space since 2022.

Although not considered endangered across the globe, the tiny western chorus frog is listed as a threatened species in Canada, having lost 90 per cent of its habitat range in the Montérégie and 30 per cent in the Outaouais.

The frog plays a key role in the ecosystem as an indicator of biodiversity health of many types of other species.

Guilbeault says the government is working to stop and reverse biodiversity loss in the country by 2030.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2024.

The Canadian Press