One of the first orders of business for delegates to the provincial NDP convention this week was reaffirming the party’s stand on protecting Manitoba’s wilderness.
Delegates voted Friday night to protect the boreal forest on the East Side of Lake Winnipeg and to continue to work with First Nations toward designating the area a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Delegates also voted to support development of a cultural and eco-tourism industry on the East Side to generate new jobs and deliver direct economic benefits to local residents.
Protecting of the boreal forest on the East Side was a key NDP commitment during last year’s provincial election. The NDP moved to protect it so that hydro transmission lines and new roads wouldn’t destroy it.
Delegates also voted in support of environment resolutions calling for protection of the province’s lakes and rivers, support for waste-diversion initiatives and a continued commitment to sustainable transportation options.
Also passed were resolutions calling for continued investment in worker safety, improved wage parity for women and economic-development initiatives for Aboriginal communities.
More than 500 delegates have registered for the three-day convention, which continues through Sunday at Winnipeg’s Victoria Inn.