January 19, 2015
Manitoba Government Plans Expansion of Pembina Valley Provincial Park
– – –Preserving Nature and Offering New Recreational Opportunities: Minister Mackintosh
The Manitoba government continues to preserve natural habitat with plans to expand Pembina Valley Provincial Park five-fold, Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh announced today.
“This historic expansion of Pembina Valley Provincial Park shows we are committed to preserving natural areas and habitats,” Minister Mackintosh said. “With only one per cent of Manitoba’s protected lands south of the Trans Canada highway, this expansion is especially important.”
Officially opened in 2001, the Pembina Valley Provincial Park began as 178 hectares of natural area in south central Manitoba, bordered by the Pembina Valley Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Private land in the area has been purchased with the support of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and will be added to the park along with the WMA. The province proposed to add 753 hectares for a 931 hectare park.
“Our family is delighted to see our land added to the park and we believe this area, with its natural beauty and the Pembina River running through it, will add a great deal to the park,” said Paul Olafson, on behalf of the Olafson family, whose land was acquired for the expansion. “Pembina Valley Provincial Park has been a great place to protect our wildlife and plants, and we thank the province for the commitment to protecting green space and wildlife.”
Public consultations on adding these lands to the park and converting two units of the WMA to provincial park land will begin this spring. That plan would result in the park becoming five times its original size and roughly the size of Elk Island Provincial Park, Beaudry Provincial Park or a quarter of the size of Birds Hill Provincial Park.
"The Manitoba Region of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is pleased to partner with the province of Manitoba in this important land acquisition,” said Jeff Polakoff, regional vice-president, Manitoba, NCC. “This project is an excellent example of a partnership that supports biodiversity in our province and provides opportunities for Manitobans to connect with their great natural landscapes.”
The park area is characterized by the valley's steep slopes carved from the soft shale bedrock of a glacial spillway, and features ridges of oak and aspen trees. With the additional land, it is hoped that
new recreational opportunities can be developed in the park, including a longer hiking trail and even the possibility of a backcountry camping experience along the Pembina River, the minister said.
The Pembina River, running through the new lands, lies along a major migratory route for raptors. From late March to mid-April, hundreds of red-tailed hawks, rough-legged hawks and other raptors may be seen in a single day, along with numerous bald and golden eagles.
The river also supports at least one nationally uncommon fish species, the Bigmouth Shiner. It is listed as a species of special concern by the federal Species at Risk Act. The woodlands of the new lands include ironwood, a rare species in Manitoba.
“It is my passion to see us return to our lost love of nature, learn to understand it, appreciate it, and rediscover our place in it,” said Henry Martens, an area advocate who once owned land that is part of the original park. “I believe this public/private partnership is a wonderful example of what we can do together to encourage harmony in a world of conflict.”
This announcement supports TomorrowNow – Manitoba’s Green Plan, an eight-year plan that supports environmental protection while ensuring a prosperous and environmentally conscious economy.
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