The federal government is giving the Lake Winnipeg Basin Program another boost in funding.
Building on a previous 10-year federal/provincial agreement, officials signed a new five-year memorandum of understanding Thursday to help improve the lake’s water quality.
MP Terry Duguid, parliamentary secretary to the minister of environment and climate change, said funding to the tune of $519,600 will go toward 10 projects aimed at improving and maintaining the lake’s ecological health.
“Lake Winnipeg and its basin is a vital resource for many communities. It is important to our economy, generating millions of dollars of revenue in hydroelectricity, recreation and fishing industries,” said Duguid.
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“Our new agreement with Manitoba on Lake Winnipeg and its basin will help build upon stakeholder efforts to address water quality and ecosystem health challenges, and provide a useful framework for information sharing and science collaboration.”
Manitoba agriculture minister Ralph Eichler said the lake — which is the eleventh-largest freshwater lake on the planet — has a watershed that covers a wide range, and cooperation between stakeholders is needed to keep it protected and healthy.
“Our governments recognize the need to work together to protect Lake Winnipeg. The trans-boundary Lake Winnipeg watershed stretches across four provinces and four U.S. states,” he said.
“Both the federal and provincial governments have an important role to play in protecting one of Canada’s most important freshwater lakes.”
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