WWF-Canada and Loblaw Fund Community Water Conservation

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - April 15, 2014) - Today, WWF-Canada and Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) are proud to announce the Loblaw Water Fund grants for 2014, supporting those working on the ground for a healthy future for Canada's waters. Long-time partners WWF and Loblaw have turned their attention to Canadian watersheds, understanding the growing national imperative to care for rivers, lakes and wetlands. Canada is home to 20 per cent of the world's fresh water, and there are hundreds of local and regional organizations working to keep Canadian waters health.

WWF's Loblaw Water Fund provides grants to registered charitable organizations working on critical projects that aim to conserve, protect, or restore freshwater habitats and the species living within them. The fund invests in action-oriented projects that take specific steps towards ecosystem conservation and recovery, as well as research. This is the first year of grants in a three year commitment; the 2015 grants will open for submissions in fall 2014 at www.wwf.ca/waterfund.

The grants are made possible through partial proceeds from Loblaw's charge-for-plastic shopping bag program in its stores, which has reduced the number of plastic shopping bags from their stores nationally by more than six billion since 2007.

For more information about the Loblaw Water Fund, please visit www.wwf.ca/waterfund.

Loblaw Water Fund 2014 Grantees

• The Petitcodiac River Watershed Monitoring & Restoration Project, led by the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance in Moncton, New Brunswick

• Réseau de surveillance de l'eau par les cégépiens, engaging students in water monitoring and conservation, led by Groupe d'éducation et d'écosurveillance de l'eau (G3E) in watersheds across Quebec
  

• Multicultural Water Community Engagement Initiative, an educational program for Humber River-area residents and businesses led by Futurewatch Environment Development and Education Partners in Toronto, Ontario
  

• Coastal Wetland Rehabilitation Project led by the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority in Chatham, Ontario
  

• Lost Shoe Creek Watershed Restoration Project led by the Central Westcoast Forest Society in Ucluelet, B.C.

• Uncover Your Creeks, a volunteer water monitoring and habitat restoration initiative led by Evergreen in Vancouver, B.C.

• Student Investigation of Waterways in the Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District led by the Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District in Oak River, Manitoba
  

• Standardized Community-Based Water Quality Monitoring and Data Reporting in the Atlantic Provinces led by Community-Based Environmental Monitoring Network, part of Saint Mary's University Department of Geography in Halifax, Nova Scotia
  

• Battle River watershed riparian health stewardship improvements through grazing management changes led by Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society (Cows and Fish) in Lethbridge, Alberta

Quotes

"WWF is proud to be able to support organizations that are doing important work on the ground and in our communities. These are meaningful projects that contribute to improving the health of Canada's waters. The Loblaw Water Fund recognizes that we can do more together, supporting each other, than we can alone, and reflects the foundation of our relationship with Loblaw Companies Limited, a trusted partner that helps WWF engage Canadians around environmental issues."

- David Miller, President and CEO, WWF-Canada

"Loblaw's commitment to environmental initiatives hinges on our ability to provide not just funds, but awareness, to issues that warrant nationwide attention. Partnering with WWF allows Loblaw to deliver an environmental message to millions of Canadians, while also funding projects that impact watersheds in communities where our people live and work."

- Bob Chant, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communication, Loblaw Companies Limited

Freshwater in Canada

• Canada has 20% of the world's fresh water, and a unique responsibility to steward this critical resource
  

• Hundreds of local and regional organizations are working in their communities to make and keep their rivers, lakes and wetlands healthy
  

• There is currently no consistent way to measure the health of Canada's waters, an issue WWF is working to address with its Freshwater Health Assessments; learn more at www.wwf.ca/waterhealth

About WWF
WWF is creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive. www.wwf.ca

About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada's food and pharmacy leader, the nation's largest retailer, and the majority unitholder of Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. www.loblaw.ca

About the Partnership
Since 2009, Loblaw Companies Limited has donated $1 million annually, through partial proceeds from the sale of plastic shopping bags in its stores, to WWF-Canada. This donation is used to help mobilize Canadians to take simple but meaningful action towards sustainable living. Loblaw has developed one of the most progressive sustainable seafood policies influencing numerous vendors, suppliers and other retailers to transition to sustainable fishing practices, with support from WWF. www.wwf.ca/about_us/howwework/business/

The following files are available for download:

• Dickson Falls, Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, Canada