Minister Toews Announces $1.1 Million for Projects to Clean Up Lake Winnipeg

June 25, 2009

WINNIPEG, Man. -- June 25, 2009 - Treasury Board President and MP for Provencher Vic Toews, on behalf of Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice, today announced $1.1 million in funding for fourteen projects under the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative.

“The Government of Canada is investing in projects that will help ensure a healthy future for Lake Winnipeg.  As the sixth largest lake in Canada, Lake Winnipeg is an important environmental, economic and recreational resource,” said Minister Toews.

Environment Minister Jim Prentice said, “The Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative is working on a number of fronts to promote the long-term sustainability of the Lake and provide a new model for how the Government of Canada can support integrated basin-wide watershed management elsewhere in Canada. These funds are part of the $18 million that this Government committed to the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative under the Action Plan for Clean Water. In addition to the millions of dollars to support stewardship projects, we are investing millions more to implement a comprehensive science program for Lake Winnipeg using Canada’s world class federal scientific expertise.”

“This project funding represents an important federal contribution towards helping improve the health of the Lake Winnipeg watershed,” added James Bezan, MP for Selkirk- Interlake. “It will help provide clean water for generations to come.”

Minister Toews also announced the appointment of a Public Advisory Committee to provide advice to the Minister of the Environment on future Lake Winnipeg stewardship project proposals.

The newly appointed committee members include:

• Marlene Cook, Deputy Mayor for the City of Selkirk;
• David Crate, Chief of Fisher River First Nation, and a former commercial fisher;
• Robert T. Kristjanson, a fifth-generation commercial fisher and supporter of Manitoba’s fishing industry for the past 61 years and member of the Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board;
• Allan Kristofferson, Managing Director of the Lake Winnipeg Consortium;
• David Tomasson, a Manitoba Interlake fisher with past involvement in the Hecla Village Harbour Authority and the Freshwater Authorities Advisory Council;
• Garry Wasylowski, a cattle producer, former Reeve of Armstrong, Manitoba and lifelong resident of Manitoba’s Interlake.

The committee members have a wide range of knowledge and experience, as well as strong linkages and commitment to the communities, industry and issues associated with cleaning up Lake Winnipeg and its watershed.  

The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that all Canadians have access to clean, safe and healthy water, that there is a reliable and secure supply of water, and that our water resources are used wisely, both economically and ecologically.