And We’re Just Getting Started
This year, CPAWS Manitoba turns 35!
Thirty-five years of showing up for nature. Thirty-five years of speaking up when it mattered most. Thirty-five years of believing that Manitoba’s forests, wetlands, grasslands, lakes, waters and coast are worth protecting, not someday, but now.
Also worth celebrating? Our Executive Director, Ron Thiessen, marks 20 years at the helm. That’s two decades of steady leadership, bold vision, and a deep belief that Manitoba can (and must, do better for nature.)
In short: 2026 is a big year for us.
And yes… we’re planning to celebrate. (Stay tuned for details about a fall celebration you won’t want to miss.)
From Humble Beginnings to a Province-Wide Movement
When CPAWS Manitoba was founded in 1991, we were a small but determined group with a simple mission: protect the places that make Manitoba special.
Since then, we’ve grown into a trusted voice for conservation across the province. Along the way, dozens of passionate staff, volunteers, partners, and supporters have shaped who we are today. Some stayed for years, others for seasons, but each left their mark.
Together, they helped turn big ideas into lasting protection.
Because conservation is never the work of one person. It’s the work of a community.
Real Wins for Nature
Over the past 35 years, CPAWS Manitoba has helped create 23 parks and protected areas, around 26,000 square kilometres of land and water. We’ve supported Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, helped advance new protected areas, and worked to ensure wildlife and communities can thrive together.
We’ve brought Manitobans into the conversation and into nature itself.
From advocating for some of the most ecologically significant landscapes on Earth, to helping shape provincial and national conservation commitments. We’ve helped move conservation forward in ways that once seemed impossible.
Conservation Highlights
- 2004: CPAWS Manitoba chapter worked with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee to gain establishment of the 7,200 ha Manigotagan River provincial park.
- 2008: Through a CPAWS Manitoba campaign, industrial logging was banned in Manitoba’s provincial parks.
- 2009: Through the efforts of CPAWS Manitoba and other groups working toward large-scale boreal protection, Kaskatamagan Wildlife Management Area (259,530 ha) and the Kaskatamagan Sipi WMA (133,820 hectares) were established in Manitoba and provided legal protection from all industrial developments.
- 2011: CPAWS Manitoba and Indigenous communities (Fisher River Cree Nation and Mosakahiken Cree First Nation) won victories after years of hard work when the province announced the creation of Fisher Bay Provincial Park (85,000 ha) and Little Limestone Provincial Park (4100 ha).
- 2013: With support from CPAWS, the Manitoba government banned peat mining in parks – a huge leap toward ensuring our parks are healthy for future generations of wildlife and people.
- 2015: The province of Manitoba released a Protected Areas Strategy in November 2015 outlining priority regions within which protections from industrial development will be sought. CPAWS Manitoba Executive Director Ron Thiessen was pleased to contribute — at the government’s request — to the development of the strategy, which targets the protection of 17% of the landscape of Manitoba by 2020.
- 2017: CPAWS worked with and coordinated the efforts of regional First Nations and Manitobans to inspire the government to designate 2 new provincial parks. Goose and Grand Islands provincial parks together are made up of eight islands on Lake Winnipegosis, which were nominated for protection in 2001 by local First Nations based on cultural and wildlife values.
- 2023: CPAWS led the charge that resulted in 3 of 4 parties running in the provincial election to commit to protecting 30% of Manitoba’s lands and water by 2030. After the NDP won a majority government, the Environment and Climate Change Minister was given the mandate to fulfill this responsibility by working with Indigenous communities.
- 2024: The seal River Watershed Alliance secured interim protection for the watershed on January 18, 2024 while it works on a joint feasibility study with the governments of Manitoba and Canada. This is a key step towards permanently conserving the watershed as an Indigenous Protected Area.
And we’re not done.
Growing the Next Generation of Nature Protectors
One of the things we’re most proud of isn’t just the places we’ve helped protect, it’s the people we’ve helped connect to them.
Our Outdoor Education Program has introduced more than 32,000 children and youth to nature since 2021 alone. Through hands-on learning, field trips, and outdoor exploration, young Manitobans are discovering the wonder of the natural world and their role in protecting it.
Our Nature Club has grown into a vibrant community, bringing people together to hike, learn, explore, and build lasting connections, not just with nature, but with each other.
Because when people fall in love with nature, they fight to protect it.
An Organization That Has Grown Alongside the Movement
We’ve grown from a small team with a big mission into a dynamic organization working across Manitoba in classrooms, communities, and on the land itself.
We’ve built strong partnerships, supported Indigenous leadership, expanded our education programs, and helped make conservation a priority for Manitobans across the province.
But growth isn’t the goal. Impact is.
And the impact we’ve seen over the past 35 years is something worth celebrating.
The Next 35 Years Start Now
Despite all we’ve accomplished, this moment matters more than ever.
Manitoba has committed to protecting 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030. It’s an ambitious goal and an essential one. The science is clear: protecting nature is vital for biodiversity, climate stability, healthy communities, and our shared future.
We’re hopeful our government will step up and turn commitments into action.
Because the next five years will help determine the next fifty.
We know what’s possible when people work together. We’ve seen it firsthand over the past 35 years.
Thank You for Being Part of This Story
Every protected place. Every young person inspired. Every step forward for nature.
None of it happens alone.
It happens because of people like you, supporters, partners, volunteers, staff past and present, and everyone who believes Manitoba’s natural world is worth protecting.
We’re proud of where we’ve been. We’re excited about where we’re going.
And we can’t wait to celebrate with you this fall.
Here’s to 35 years and the many more ahead!
Learn More:
View the past 35 years of work in this interactive map and timeline
Get to know the current staff working to protect nature.Help support the next 35 years, consider subscribing, shopping our merch, volunteering, or donating.