Campaign Recent Developments: Woodland Caribou

Average Manitoban Not Served by Secrecy and Lack of Information

For most Manitobans, the Environmental Licencing process is broken. The administration of our Environment Act is failing a majority of people in this province, but there are ways to fix it.

by Eric Reder, Campaign Director, Manitoba

WINNIPEG -  Late on Sunday, May 6th, after a whirlwind weekend for the Yinka Dene Alliance Freedom Train riders, I took my truck to the hostel to help transport them back to the train station so they could continue their journey. After filling the back with luggage, there was an exclamation as they went to hop in the front. “A caribou! Oh, we have to get our friend. She’s part of the caribou clan.” People clambered around, and pictures were taken of the caribou decal on the side window of my truck.  

To Canadians, caribou are iconic, akin to the maple leaf and the beaver. For 75 years, when a Canadian reached into his or her pocket, they were likely to find a caribou gracing a 25-cent piece.

This wasn’t a friendly crowd. In fact, they had a senseless anger that not one of them would have displayed in a personal encounter, but together they felt they could exude.