Public Advisory Group (PAG)

A Public Advisory Group (PAG) initiated during Phase 1 was re-established for the Phase 2 of the Expedited Review to continue robust engagement with the public over the course of the review. 

The Phase 2 PAG includes most of the original PAG members returning and some new members. 

The central premise for the PAG is to achieve trust and transparency between the technical experts and those impacted by water level and flow conditions in the Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River system. For Phase 2, the PAG provides a strategic component for the IJC, ILOSLRB and GLAM Committee to increase transparency, involvement, and engagement to support the evaluation of the regulation plan and provide local perspectives on the impacts of outflow regulations.

Public Advisory Group Members – Phase 2 

 
Canadian Members 

 
American Members 

 
Jean-François Belzile 
Montreal Port Authority 
 

 
John Boyce 
St. Lawrence Seaway Pilots Association 

Ghalia Chahine 
Union des producteurs agricoles 
 

Robert Cantwell 
Jefferson County Legislator 

Ross Stewart 
Thousand Islands Association 
 

Corey Fram 
Thousand Islands International Tourism Council 
 

Brent Edwards 
Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal 
 

Jim Howe 
The Nature Conservancy 

David Speak 
Beaconsfield Yacht Club 
 

John Peach 
Save the River/Upper St. Lawrence River Keeper 
 

Cliff Steinberg 
Ault Island Community Association 

Jonathan Shultz 
Niagara County 
 

Abraham Francis 
Mohawk Council of Akwesasne 
 

David Scudder 
Save Our Sodus 

Mike French 
Toronto Island Community Association 
 

Bernie Gigas 
Lake Ontario South Shore Engineer 

Henri-Paul Normandin 
Comité Zone d’intervention prioritaire du Lac St. Pierre

Shannon Hurlbut 
St. Lawrence County Environmental Management Council


Phase 2 Public Advisory Group Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference for the GLAM Committee's Public Advisory Group in support of Phase 2 of the Expedited Review of Plan 2014 can be read here. 


PAG Workshop – October 2023

A workshop was held on October 4-5, 2023 at the Saunders Hydro Dam Visitor Centre in Cornwall, Ontario to unite the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Adaptive Management (GLAM) Committee and its Public Advisory Group (PAG) together with representatives of the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board (ILOSLRB) and the International Joint Commission (IJC). With an aim to achieve trust and transparency between technical experts and communities within the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River system, the workshop discussions focused on PAG issues, stories, and concerns related to high and low water levels, as well as related communications needs and evaluation metrics associated with Phase 2 of the expedited review of Plan 2014. As the first in-person meeting of the PAG, the workshop provided opportunities for members to connect with each other and find common ground and understanding of the complexities of water level fluctuations, climate change, and outflow regulation.  

To learn more about the workshop, read the newsletter article. 

Picture of GLAM's PAG members with IJC staff and GLAM members at the Moses-Saunders dam
GLAM and PAG members and IJC staff at Moses-Saunders dam