September 13, 2007
Little Limestone
Lake, the largest colour-changing
and most unique
lake of its kind in the
world, is now protected as
Manitoba’s newest provincial
park reserve, Conservation
Minister Stan
Struthers announced recently.
“Little Limestone
Lake is a natural world
treasure and this government
is moving to fulfil
our commitment to protect
our own ‘Lake Louise of
the prairies,’” Struthers
said.
Little Limestone Lake
is located about 450 kilometres
north of Winnipeg.
It is considered the finest
and largest example of a
marl lake in the world. A
marl lake changes colour
as its water temperature
rises and calcite dissolved
in the water begins to settle
out. In warm summer
weather, the lake turns
from clear to an opaque
turquoise or even to a
milky blue-white.
Little Limestone Lake
Park Reserve includes the
15-km long lake and its islands
as well as a 100-metre-
wide strip of shoreline
with the exception of the
eastern shore which is located
in the Mosakahiken
Cree Nation. Establishment
of this park reserve
is part of the government’s
commitment to give special
protection and management
designations to
unique areas under the
Green and Growing strategy.
Science, Technology,
Energy and Mines Minister
Jim Rondeau congratulated
Xstrata Nickel and
the Mosakahiken Cree
Nation for their co-operation
in establishing this
park reserve. Xstrata adjusted
its mineral claims to
allow the lake to be legally
protected. Mosakahiken
Cree Nation is participating
with the government in working toward long-term
protection and management
of the lake.
Little Limestone Lake
is the second park reserve
to protect some of the
unique features of Manitoba’s
limestone landscape.
Walter Cook Caves Park
Reserve, a 3,200-hectare
reserve located 35 km
north of Grand Rapids,
was designated in 2001
and protection was recently
renewed until 2012
to allow for more discussions
to take place on the
permanent protection of
this site.
“Little Limestone
Lake is a remarkable phenomenon
of nature,” said
Dale Hull, chief operating
officer for Pure Nickel
Inc., the new mineral exploration
company that recently
acquired the
William Lake claims from
Xstrata. “The area contains
many unique caves,
sinkholes, disappearing
streams, underground
springs and lakes that can
fill and drain in a matter of
days. These are wonders
of nature that need to be
preserved for future generations.”