Toronto, Chicago mayors back Manitoba on water diversion project

[tuvor]

QUEBEC (CP) - A powerful big-city U.S. mayor and a Canadian counterpart have thrown their weight behind Manitoba's fight to block a water diversion project in the United States.

Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago and Toronto's David Miller called on the U.S. government to put a stop to a North Dakota project that will send water northward into the Red River from Devils Lake, a growing body of water that frequently floods.

"If we lose the battle of Devils Lake, it sets a precedent that could allow the diversion of the Great Lakes," said Toronto Mayor David Miller.

An international meeting of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River mayors adopted a resolution Thursday asking for a proper environmental assessment by the International Joint Commission.

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