January 26, 2012
Congratulations to Gord Mackintosh on his new post as Manitoba’s Conservation Minister. His many years in Manitoba politics, his accomplishments, and his specific experience make him capable of this challenging role.
CPAWS is pleased to hear that Minister Mackintosh is going to make the issue of the proposed peat mine in Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park a priority. Parks are no place for industrial activity. They are for present and future generations of people and wildlife. The Province got it right when they banned commercial logging in provincial parks in 2008. We’re glad so many Manitobans are encouraging Mr. Mackintosh to forever end the possibility of peat mining in parks.
The concern around peat mining is directly linked to the protection of Lake Winnipeg, to which Minister Mackintosh has stated he will make “job one.” As peatlands filter water and help regulate its flow, they are essential in the fight to save Manitoba’s largest water body.
The Province is holding a session on February 28th to release its draft Peatlands Stewardship Strategy, the first of its kind in Canada. Kudos to the Manitoba government for this precedent-setting move. For the sake of Lake Winnipeg,
CPAWS urges Minister Mackintosh to make protection of large areas of peatland a key objective of the strategy.
Ron Thiessen
Executive Director
Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society – Manitoba chapter