May 15, 2015
Province Announces Manitoba Hydro, University of Manitoba Sign Lake Friendly Accord
– – –Institutions Support Improved Water Quality for Lake Winnipeg: Minister Nevakshonoff
Manitoba Hydro and the University of Manitoba have become the first major Manitoba institutions to formally join the growing coalition to improve water quality in Lake Winnipeg by signing the Lake Friendly Accord, Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Tom Nevakshonoff and Rick Gamble, chair, South Basin Mayors and Reeves, and mayor of the Village of Dunnottar, announced today.
"The addition of these two important partners as signatories to the Lake Friendly Accord demonstrates a growing recognition that protecting our water requires broad-based co-operation,” Minister Nevakshonoff said. “Manitoba Hydro and the University of Manitoba have contributed to water stewardship initiatives in the past, and we welcome the renewed and strengthened partnerships their commitments represent.”
The Manitoba government and the South Basin Mayors and Reeves first partnered in June 2013 to announce the Lake Friendly Accord and the Lake Friendly Stewards Alliance. The goal of these initiatives is to foster collaboration amongst a wide range of stakeholders to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen loading to Lake Winnipeg, the minister said.
“Manitoba’s waterways are integral to the province and our operations as two-thirds of the water supplied to our Nelson River generating stations flows through Lake Winnipeg,” said Scott Thomson, president and CEO, Manitoba Hydro. “Manitoba Hydro is impressed with initiatives that are improving the overall health of Manitoba’s rivers and lakes, and by signing the accord today is demonstrating its commitment to improving water quality.”
Minister Nevakshonoff emphasized the scope of Lake Winnipeg’s water quality challenges, noting the lake’s basin encompasses one million square kilometres across Canada and the United States. One of the keys to improving the health of the local ecosystems is to ensure a greater understanding and awareness of the issue and what needs to be done to reverse the trend, he said. The University of Manitoba’s commitment is significant in helping fulfil this role, as they are the first major post-secondary institution to sign the accord, the minister added.
Thus far, the Lake Friendly Accord has been signed by the Province of Manitoba, Environment Canada, the South Basin Mayors, the Red River Basin Commission, Minnesota and the Lake Winnipeg Foundation.
“At the University of Manitoba, using our research capacity to contribute to the overall well-being of Manitobans is an important part of our mission,” said David T. Barnard, president, University of Manitoba. “The Lake Friendly Accord offers an exciting opportunity to work with other partners to protect one of our province’s most valuable resources and we are pleased to be part of this initiative.”
“The South Basin Mayors and Reeves are deeply committed to working collaboratively towards actions that will effectively address nutrient loading issues in our lake,” said Gamble. He is also the co-chair of the Lake Friendly Stewards Alliance. “The resources, knowledge and outreach potential these two new partners bring to the table will be invaluable.”
The alliance is working on developing a Lake Friendly Action Plan, a strategy Minister Nevakshonoff said will be implemented by the Lake Friendly Stewards Alliance to help reduce nutrients and algal blooms within the Lake Winnipeg watershed.
For more information on the Lake Friendly Accord, visit www.manitoba.ca/lakefriendlyaccordor www.lakefriendly.ca. Discover how Manitoba is Lake Friendly in 50 Ways by visiting www.manitoba.ca/lakewinnipeg.
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