April 22, 2023
Statement from Environment and Climate Minister Kevin Klein on Earth Day
Today, I am encouraging all Manitobans to celebrate Earth Day 2023 and the importance of raising awareness of environmental issues in every community around the world. Earth Day’s theme for 2023 is ‘Invest in Our Planet.’ Manitoba has a strong commitment to protecting the environment and our government is taking action and getting results.
Leading up to Earth Day this week, our government announced an investment of over $10 million in new initiatives to safeguard our precious water resources along the Red River from Winnipeg to the towns and cities along the south basin of Lake Winnipeg and in the expansion of watersheds across Manitoba. Our government also partnered with Efficiency Manitoba, First Nations communities and an Indigenous social enterprise to launch a new training program to install ground source heat pumps on First Nations while providing local training and employment. We expanded the reach of the Climate and Conservation Fund to support three more Manitoba projects addressing climate change and protecting the environment. Additionally, our government also partnered with the City of Winnipeg to form a new task force to work collaboratively to advance wastewater infrastructure projects that will improve environmental outcomes for Lake Winnipeg.
Last fall, the Manitoba government launched the Water Management Strategy, the first comprehensive strategy of its kind in more than two decades. This strategy sets the roadmap to secure our water resources now and into the future. The first water action plan, putting the strategy into action, will be released in just a few weeks. Our government also continues to protect human health and the environment through the cleanup of orphaned and abandoned mines. I am proud to report that through these efforts, remediation at two high-risk mine sites, the Ruttan mine and the Sherridon mine, are now complete.
We are getting the job done.
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