Another victory against peat mining, for park protection

Friday, August 30, 2013

Last week, the Manitoba government filed the papers to permanently protect 4,000 hectares of land in Hecla / Grindstone Provincial Park. The region had been at risk from mining activity, including a new peat mine proposal.

Because of the efforts of concerned Manitobans, and the many Wilderness Committee members and supporters like you, this land is now fully protected. This is a great success story for all those who raised their voices, expressing the desire to see parks properly protected and new peat mines banned. Congratulations!

As is so often the case, however, our work is not done. There are still many parks in Manitoba being damaged by mining activity – including Grass River Provincial Park, which is currently threatened by Hudbay's new Reed Mine proposal.

peat-mine-tractorsw_2.jpgIn addition, the Manitoba government is still authorizing new peat mines along the shores of Lake Winnipeg, and considering even more new mines elsewhere in the region. Peat bogs desperately need our protection, as Manitoba's vital contribution to combating a changing climate and a warming world. Since 2009, the Manitoba government has been promising us a boreal peatlands protection strategy, but we're still waiting!

We have achieved a victory in Hecla / Grindstone Park, but we need to do more. If you haven't yet used our letter writing tools to send letters to the government about banning mining in parks or banning peat mining, please use the links below. If you've already sent in letters, you can share the links with your friends, family and colleagues, and get them to raise awareness, too.

Click here to take action to stop mining in Manitoba parks.

Click here to take action to ban peat mining in Manitoba.

Together we'll build a Manitoba that has our nature and wilderness protected for the future!

For the wild,

Eric Reder | Manitoba Campaign Director
Wilderness Committee

More from this campaign
A feller buncher inside Duck Mountain Provincial Park in October 2022
A feller buncher inside Duck Mountain Provincial Park in October 2022 [Eric Reder]
NiCan Ltd. Mining Claims and Caribour Telemetry Locations in and around Grass River Provincial Park
Wilderness Committee
Peatlands bulldozed and destroyed by mineral exploration in Nopiming Provincial Park, 2022
Peatlands bulldozed and destroyed by mineral exploration in Nopiming Provincial Park, 2022. [Eric Reder]