Great Lakes Charter Great Lakes Charter The Great Lakes Charter is a good-faith agreement among the Governors of the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and the Premiers of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The charter outlines a series of principles to collectively manage the use of the Great Lakes Basin's water supply. It also includes a notice and consultation process for proposals to divert large amounts of water out of the Basin and for large in-Basin uses. It was signed on February 11, 1985. In 2001, the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers signed
The Great Lakes Group was the first president. The company began full operation on the Great Lakes (except Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River) in 1900, starting its first navigating season with over 150 tugboats. The Company grew rapidly, so much so that in 1913 it was charged with operating a monopoly. Frequent labor unrest during World War II resulted in the U.S. government assuming control of the Company in 1945-46. During the 1950s and 1960s the company installed innovative communication equipment. Business began to decline in the 1960s when the decline of the steel industry and the introduction of new types of