Winnipeg Free Press - Letters to the Editor

When I drove through the gate at Birds Hill Park last weekend, I was stopped by an officer. He wanted to make sure I was aware it was a liquor-free weekend and that there was no alcohol in my car. After I passed this test, I proceeded to my campsite only to find an empty beer bottle perched like a little statue on the picnic table.

On closer inspection, I found many more bottles and other recyclables and garbage strewn about my weekend home. As I explored the park, I discovered that this was not an isolated incident. Litter has become a significant part of its landscape, including the trail to the beach.

Are park visitors so disrespectful and shortsighted that they are unable to understand the damage this is causing to this Manitoba treasure? Has the province decided that we can save a few bucks by allowing the park to turn into a landfill? I know it is not because admission to the parks is free this year as monies collected at the gate have always gone to the general kitty, not to maintain and improve our parks. The Manitoba government needs to make preserving parks a higher priority and visitors need to perform the simple task of walking to the garbage can or recycling bin.

Leanne Koss

Winnipeg

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 27, 2010 A15

As Leanne Koss suggests, Birds Hill Park has become a dump.

But it's not only Birds Hill but many of the popular provincially run campgrounds in Manitoba. At one time we were avid campers and quite familiar with the problems of casual camping, hence we decided to try "seasonal" camping at St. Malo. However, it was more of the same thing.

It's not only the garbage and rundown facilities, but a general lack of control by park officials. Speeding cars and obnoxious drunks dominate what should be a quiet week of camping. Not to mention the stealing.

Eventually we sold our RV, based on the decision that if we wanted to visit a zoo we would travel to Assiniboine Park.

Al Yakimchuk

Sandy Hook

I travelled to Birds Hill Park for a camping trip this past weekend and once again my campsite had litter scattered all over it when I arrived. The obvious thing to say is park users need to do a better job of cleaning up their waste. What really irks me, though, is when I visited the park campground office on the way to my site there were at least 10 parks staff hanging around. Why is the park such a mess when there appears to be more than enough staff to patrol and clean up the campsites in between guests?

As the Manitoba government is seeking public input into developing a management plan for Birds Hill Park, it is a choice time for us to let them know we would like a clean and healthy park, not another garbage hill.

LEANE KOSS

Winnipeg

It is important to note that a World Heritage site on the east side of Lake Winnipeg will be a huge economic boost for Manitoba. If Bipole III is constructed through the east side, we severely reduce our chance of receiving this internationally prestigious designation and consequently the best free marketing available for promoting eco and cultural tourism -- two of the fastest-growing industries in the world. I point to recent examples.

UNESCO took the severe step of removing the World Heritage Site designation from Germany's Dresden Elbe River Valley in 2009, after construction began on a four-lane bridge through the heart of the area.

In 2009, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador reversed its decision to construct a Bipole through Gross Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because they were informed that doing so could jeopardize the park's UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

In the spring of 2010, the B.C. government announced a ban on mining and oil and gas development in the Flathead River Valley because a United Nations team of experts visited the region and called for a moratorium on any potential future development in the region as it would have an impact on Peace Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Keeping the east side healthy and well, without Bipole III, is a win-win! We preserve the intact east side ecosystems while local communities embrace new economic opportunities for businesses and jobs. This GDP boost and protection of our environment will be beneficial for all Manitobans.

Ron Thiessen

Winnipeg

Re: East side tourism (March 24). I was pleased to read the province will be investing $2.5 million on a new aboriginal cultural centre near Hollow Water -- the gateway to the heart of the boreal forest on the east side of Lake Winnipeg. The announcement also includes a separate fund for a loans program that will kick start local tourism ventures.

Done right, eco and cultural tourism is a tremendous opportunity to create employment by keeping the region healthy and unbroken. With the upcoming World Heritage Site designation, people will come from all over the world to see the world's largest intact section of northern forest. This will be a huge economic boon for local communities in need of jobs.

RON THIESSEN

Winnipeg

Re: Billion dollar bungles (March 22)

Jim Carr is either misinformed or he is deliberately misrepresenting the facts. From what I understand, Manitoba's two largest energy customers, Minnesota and Wisconsin, are very much concerned with not only the financial cost of their power, but also the social and environmental methods in which it is provided. The evidence of this is in the law that Minnesota passed two years ago, which clearly says Manitoba Hydro must report every year on the impacts of its hydro-electric dams on the environment and First Nations people covered by the Northern Flood Agreement.

Minnesota buys nearly $800 million in power every year from Manitoba. The east side route may be cheaper today, but if we lose our export contracts and our green advantage, then our long-term prosperity is at risk. The government seems to understand this; ironically, the business council does not.

CHRIS JOHNSTON

Winnipeg

The extra $600 million for a west side hydro line is about three per cent of Hydro's planned development budget over the next decade. That is like paying $1.09 for a loaf of bread, instead of paying $1.06. Makes sense to me as I buy better quality bread at a higher cost because it is better for my health. Spending relatively little more dollars to keep the east side free from a major hydro corridor will ensure it remains intact and continues to help us stay healthy. The heart of the boreal on the east side of Lake Winnipeg plays a huge role in slowing climate change by storing mass amounts of carbon in its trees and soils. This keeps the carbon away from the atmosphere. The east side's unspoiled rivers also nourish Lake Winnipeg with clean water which helps to offset the lake's polluted intake from the south. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

LEANE KOSS

The article Tiny bats give hope to proposal for park (March 4) highlights another species dependent on Manitoba's boreal forests for its survival. As Craig Willis describes, Fisher Bay's large population of little brown bats could not survive without the boreal forest that provides insects for food as well as summer-roosting sites. The Fisher River Cree Nation wants this area included in the proposed Fisher Bay Provincial Park. This region must become protected from industrial development. If logging and mining continue unchecked, the little brown bat will disappear. The provincial government can protect the little brown bat by establishing park boundaries determined by factors such as the bats' summer-roosting sites.

ERIKA BLACKIE

Winnipeg

Re: Parties debate Doer's detour (Jan. 22). I commend our provincial government and Manitoba Hydro for their commitment to keep the proposed major Hydro corridor away from the intact boreal forest on the east side of Lake Winnipeg. This incredible region is Manitoba's gift to the globe.

The east side of Lake Winnipeg is part of the Earth's largest intact section of boreal forest. The boreal forest is the world's largest source of fresh water, the northern lungs of the planet, and as the largest terrestrial storehouse of carbon, it plays a huge role in slowing the advance of climate change. These ecological services are life-sustaining and essential to the healthy future of all life.

The involved east side First Nations and the province are taking the right approach by pursuing a World Heritage site on the east side of Lake Winnipeg. This designation will put the area on the world map as an international destination for eco- and cultural tourism -- two of the fastest growing industries in the world. This equals sustainable incomes for local communities that will be earned by hard work in combination with keeping the region unbroken and healthy.

Attaining World Heritage status is a contest. The better the application looks, the better the chance of winning. There are many candidate sites from all over the globe competing for this internationally prestigious designation. Few will be chosen. A major Hydro corridor through the east side would not disqualify it from entering the race but it would greatly diminish its odds of passing the finish line.

Ron Thiessen

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

Winnipeg

The creation of the proposed Fisher Bay Provincial Park is an ideal example of how placing natural areas under protection can create numerous benefits for local residents, surrounding communities and the whole province. These benefits include the creation of new wealth and significantly contribute to sustaining a healthy environment in the Fisher Bay area. The establishment of a provincial park creates employment; jobs such as park management and maintenance will help bring prosperity to local residents. Furthermore, provincial parks attract tourists. The money spent by tourists on eco and cultural-tourism goes well beyond park borders as travellers are likely to spend time in nearby communities.

By placing the Fisher Bay area under protection, the natural landscape can stay wild. Undisturbed natural landscapes are integral in keeping a healthy ecosystem as they filter water, stores carbon, produce oxygen and are home to numerous plants and animals.

ERIKA BLACKIE

Winnipeg