Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, right, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, left, and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, centre, chat at the Council of Great Lakes Governors 2015 Leadership Summit Saturday, June 13, 2015 in Quebec City.Clement Allard/The Canadian Press
The premiers of Quebec and Ontario are meeting with the governors of eight U.S. states today as part of a three-day conference on the future of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region.
The goal of the conference is for the leaders to work together on environmental protection and encouraging economic growth.
Speaking this morning, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne highlighted the need for regional co-operation on environmental issues.
Wynne announced she would sign two new agreements with Ohio and Michigan to combat invasive species and the threat of algae blooms in the Great Lakes.
She also suggested a regional partnership to fight climate change, and invited the U.S. states to join Ontario, Quebec and California in a so-called cap-and-trade system aimed at cutting greenhouse gases.
Michigan Governor Rick Snydor called for more aggressive action on combating invasive species such as the Asian carp. He also thanked Canada for its partnership in building the future Windsor-Detroit bridge that he says will increase cross-border trade.