In the Iroquoian language, the "Lake of Shining Waters" is Lake Ontario. As you would expect, the First Nations were the first to live in the watershed!.  In fact, People have lived in the Ontario region for more than 12,000 years. Before the arrival of the European settlers, Algonquian- and Iroquoian-speaking native communities had settled on the land. Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is surrounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the state of New York, whose water boundaries meet in the middle of the lake.  On this episode of North Coast Chronicles: Tales from the Great Lakes, Mark Mattson, Founder and President of Swim, Drink, Fish (previously known as Lake Ontario Waterkeepers), shares his life's work to preserve and protect Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes.  Lake Ontario holds a special geographic position with all waters from the Great Lakes passing through on their way to the ocean.  It is the lake that rarely freezes while still buffeting the impacts of combined sewer overflow and other environmental impacts.  Learn how the Lake of Shining Waters holds a special place in the hearts of millions of people living in her watershed.