Lake Winnipeg Region

A proposal to create a 160,000 hectare (ha) protected area west at Fisher Bay on Lake Winnipeg was ignored by Manitoba Conservation, proponents of the Fisher Bay Park Reserve claim.

Instead, the province is presenting a plan for an 89,000-ha reserve west of Fisher Bay, including about 60,000 ha of the bay. The deadline for comments on the proposed protected was May 30.

OTTAWA -- Canadian Geographic Travel magazine has created a list of the Top 25 beaches in Canada -- and Manitoba is home to two of them. Grand Beach on Lake Winnipeg and Little Limestone Lake Park Reserve north of Grand Rapids have made the cut.

Well-known tourist spots such as Cavendish Beach in P.E.I. and Sandbanks Provincial Park in Ontario made the list, but many of the locations came from provinces less known for their shoreline attractions.

The Fisher River Cree Nation (FRCN) is proposing a scenic wilderness park
four times the size of Winnipeg (160,000 ha) be created to permanently
safeguard the area from all industrial developments. This initiative is
part of the community's journey to protect nature, culture, and economic
opportunity.

Eva Pip hit the nail on the head with her statement about industrial logging and its negative effects on Lake Winnipeg. The boreal forests in eastern Manitoba capture phosphorus that would otherwise enter the lake, causing increased algae blooms and reduced oxygen levels. In other words, the east side forests are an essential component in saving Lake Winnipeg for humans and wildlife.

OTTAWA -- The Harper government has set aside $7 million to help address Lake Winnipeg's water woes, one of the many green initiatives in a budget even critics admit is the most environmentally-aware in recent Canadian history.