Operation to remove nearly 1,000 tires from the Saint Lawrence River
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend.
Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
These tires come from a breakwater made up of 40,000 tires installed in 1990 to expand the Beauharnois marina, which has since sunk. The tires were bound together with rubber straps containing urethane, a chemical that, at high concentrations, can be harmful to health.
Additionally, there is pollution from microplastics caused by the tires themselves and the plastic that surrounded them when they were placed in the water.
About twenty carefully selected volunteers make up Lasselin's team. The divers must be highly experienced, as they need to work solo with "zero visibility" and face risks like hitting objects or getting entangled in fishing lines, according to Lasselin.
She hopes to remove between 1,000 and 1,500 tires from the river during this 15-day mission.
This is a new type of mission for Lasselin, a member of the non-profit organization Aqua Sub Terra, dedicated to the protection and promotion of aquatic and underground resources.
This operation could become an annual event, as the exact number of remaining tires from the original 40,000 is unknown but is expected to be much higher than the thousand Lasselin and her divers aim to recover.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 investigation How did thieves steal your car? Maybe with a device they ordered online
Digital devices that a Toronto-area police department warns are used in the most common method of stealing cars are for sale online for anyone to buy, a W5 investigation has found.
Trump's appointees have criticized Trudeau, warned of border issues with Canada
Donald Trump's second administration is filling up with some of his most loyal supporters and many of the people landing top jobs have been critical of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and security at Canada's border.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead new 'Department of Government Efficiency' in Trump administration
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new 'Department of Government Efficiency' in his second administration.
Trump makes a victor's return to Washington to meet with Biden and GOP lawmakers
U.S. President Joe Biden will welcome Donald Trump to the White House on Wednesday for an Oval Office visit that is a traditional part of the peaceful handoff of power, a ritual Trump himself declined to participate in four years ago.
Here's why thieves may be stealing butter in Canada
The case of the missing butter remains a mystery, but some have ideas on what's behind the unusual crimes.
John Krasinski named People magazine's 2024 Sexiest Man Alive
John Krasinski is People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2024.
South Korean actor Song Jae-lim found dead at 39
Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas 'Moon Embracing the Sun' and 'Queen Woo,' was found dead at his home in capital Seoul. He was 39.
Alleged serial killer previously pled guilty to 2018 attack on Waterloo, Ont. bus
The woman accused of killing three people in three days in three Ontario cities also previously admitted to attacking strangers on buses in the Region of Waterloo.
Chrystia Freeland says carbon rebate for small businesses will be tax-free
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the Canada carbon rebate for small businesses will be tax-free.