Hope for a sustainable future offered in a precious natural area

Fisher Bay and surrounding lands provide a sanctuary for wildlife and tremendous opportunity for a sustainable local tourism economy. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the Wilderness Committee have joined Fisher River Cree Nation in their quest to establish a provincial park that would protect this area from industrial developments such as logging and mining.
Photo by Eric Reder

Just a couple hours north of Winnipeg lies the Fisher Bay area, on the southwest basin of Lake Winnipeg. The lands and waters that make up Fisher Bay are a wonderfully wild place — a boreal region of largely undisturbed mature forests and sandy shorelines lining numerous inlets and islands. This land is home to wildlife such as wolves and moose, foxes and bears, and a huge variety of songbirds. Shallow beaches and rocky reefs can be found throughout the waters of the Bay, providing habitat for a myriad of fishes and birds, many of which are endangered.

Every shoreline provides glimpses of the thriving biological diversity Fisher Bay offers. Fresh tracks are left upon the beach daily by wild animals passing in and out of the woods. Shorebirds and waterbirds continually wing by, traveling from nesting colonies to feeding grounds. Deeper in the forest, bright patches of sunlight in small clearings among the tall trees afford aspen and birch saplings a chance to grow. In the shade of the dense old-growth spruce and pine stands the plant life is more subdued, with mushrooms and mosses reclaiming fallen old trees, and young evergreens slowly reaching towards the canopy.

Wolf by Ron Thiessen

Island reflection by Eric Reder

Shelf fungus by Ron Thiessen

Boreal forest regions such as the Fisher Bay area are part of the essential life support system our planet requires, providing us with clean air, fresh water and climate mitigation. It is widely accepted that preserving a large portion of the remaining boreal forests is necessary for the future wellbeing of our planet. The increasingly rare occurrence of wildlife thriving in intact wilderness is another reason why the Fisher Bay area should be preserved.

For centuries, local Aboriginal people have utilized Fisher Bay’s resources while maintaining its well-being through caring stewardship. The area has been home to the Fisher River Cree Nation (FRCN) for many generations. The FRCN has a vision of a sustainable local economy that relies upon maintaining the awe-inspiring natural region known as Ochiwasahow. Ochiwasahow (pronounced O - Chee - wass - ah - how) is Cree for Fisher Bay. The FRCN is working hard on conserving the area for traditional activities and developing its eco- and cultural tourism potential. Securing the area through Manitoba protected areas legislation will ensure all treaty rights are upheld while prohibiting encroaching industrial developments. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and the Wilderness Committee have joined the FRCN on their quest to establish permanent protection for this magnificent natural treasure.

By permanently protecting the Fisher Bay region according to the best combination of ecological and cultural considerations, the Manitoba government can demonstrate their commitment to world-class conservation. FRCN’s journey to establish the Ochiwasahow provincial park has tremendous potential to create community-driven sustainable economies made possible by maintaining a healthy environment.