The Wilderness Committee dropped 3,600 signed cards requesting the provincial government permanently protect the lower Bird River from any future development. 

RM of Alexander Coun. Mac Kinghorn wondered why that was necessary as there are already development restrictions in those areas preventing more cottage development.

In a press release, the Wilderness Committee asked for permanent protection for a 17-kilometre area that stretches for 1.5 km on either bank of the river from the Nopiming Provincial Park boundary to Hammerstead Falls. 

“This is still an ongoing look at planning for the lower Bird River,” said Eric Reder, Manitoba campaign manager for the Wilderness Committee. “Look at when Tembec wanted in 2004-05 to log the road corridor. Residents didn’t want to see that. Then in 2007, cottage owners commissioned a study on their own on the carrying capacity of the river. There were concerns there is too much development and the river couldn’t handle any more development.”

Kinghorn said much of the land noted by the Wilderness Committee is Crown land which is subject to possible Treaty Land Entitlement claims. The remaining portions are already subject to a development moratorium so strict that large lots can’t even be subdivided amongst family.

“What (the Wilderness Committee) is talking about is all of that land on the upper part of the river going up to Bird Lake,” Kinghorn said. “That’s all Crown land to start with. Basically what it boils down to is it’s Crown land that’s all going to be TLE. Everything else is under a moratorium. This won’t have a negative impact on (the RM of Alexander) other than there’s a moratorium in place and they’d better honour it.”

There are a couple of larger properties that could have been subdivided. However, their applications were not in place prior to the development moratorium, so the RM council won’t consider those requests.

“There is a moratorium for the Bird River now and it has been in place for a number of years now,” Kinghorn said. “It restricts any new subdivision along the Bird River. So if you have a chunk of property, say 25 acres, you can’t subdivide it. If you didn’t already subdivide it, you can’t do it now.”

Kinghorn said the restrictions are so tight, a family who wanted to subdivide a large property so each family member could have their own lot, were turned down.

Reder said a plan several years ago by TANCO Mine to drain wastewater from Bernic Lake into the lower Bird River also convinced them to drop off the signed cards at Premier Greg Selinger’s office at the Manitoba Legislature on Aug. 27.

“We want to ensure the river is as healthy as it can be and we will continue to use it; cottagers, members of the Sagkeeng First Nation, they can still use it,” Reder said. “This is a step forward in a vision for the region so the Bird River stays around for the next generation.”

Reder said a drive to ask Bird River residents to sign the cards was so successful, they used all of the 150 cards they brought with them in short order.

Kinghorn, who represents Ward 4 and the Bird River area, said it was the first time he’s heard of the Wilderness Committee or its efforts to encourage legislation to protect the area from development.

He didn’t dispute the committee’s claims of popular support, noting while many people are pro development, sometimes they change their minds when development is proposed near their cottage.

“Bird River, there is a moratorium already and there is one also on the Lee River Channel,” Kinghorn said. “That one was because of the RM of Lac du Bonnet not having enough capacity in their lagoon. They have added to the lagoon, so I expect that will change. But with Bird River, it was because of population and the usage of the river already.”

Reder said the added congestion of more cottage development would damage the shorelines and affect the overall water quality as boats can stir up sediment in the water.

Part of the Wilderness Committee’s awareness program for Bird River includes a paddling trip on Sept. 12.