• Volunteer Project at Raven's Creek
Wilderness Committee getting volunteers to assist community and ecotourism venture in the Heart of the Boreal

The Wilderness Committee is happy to announce we are immediately moving forward with a pilot volunteer project at Raven's Creek Ventures in the community of Hollow Water.

Raven's Creek Ventures was established by Garry Raven to bring people out to the Heart of the Boreal, and provide education about the environment through the traditional knowledge and culture of the Anishinaabe people. With Garry's passing this winter, Robert Raven has taken on the responsibilities of Raven's Creek.

The volunteer opportunities at Raven's Creek are varied. General labour and handyperson work will be necessary to revitalize the campground and gathering facilities at Raven's Creek and afield. An organic garden plot is being established, with the help of international WWOOF volunteers (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), to provide healthy food for community celebrations and events. Trail marking and routing work will be ongoing all summer, as hiking trails are established in the Heart of the Boreal region.

If anyone is interested in signing up for volunteer days and trips, please contact the Wilderness Committee by phone or email.

• Forest Facts for McFadyen
Global Forest Watch confirms east side of Lake Winnipeg has more intact forest than west side

Hugh McFadyen, leader of the PC Party of Manitoba and Official Opposition Leader, has been showing his ignorance of Manitoba's natural environment by claiming there is more intact forest in western Manitoba than on the east side of Lake Winnipeg. He is insisting that running BiPole 3 through the Heart of the Boreal is the environmentally responsible route because of this fact. During Question Period this past April in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, Mr. McFadyen explained this argument by claiming Global Forest Watch—an environmental organization—told him that the west side had more intact forest. In response to this claim, Peter Lee, Director of Global Forest Watch Canada, sent a letter to all MLAs in Manitoba, explaining that their work concluded that there was more intact forest on the east side of Lake Winnipeg than the west side.

The letter and map can be found on our website here.

http://www.globalforestwatch.org/

• Intact forest map shows significance of the Heart of the Boreal
Hugh McFadyen, the leading proponent for disrupting one of the world's greatest intact forests with a hydro line, was short on facts and ran from questions on Tueday.

The Wilderness Committee has published a map that makes it easier to realize the significance of the Heart of the Boreal—the vast tract of forest stretching into Ontario from the east shore of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba.

Click here to view a higher resolution map, which can also be printed.

• Letter from Grassy Narrows asking for urgent support
Grasy Narrows First Nation, located in the Heart of the Boreal in Ontario, needs help launching study of mercury poisoning in their water

Grassy Narrows is asking for assistance in publicizing a new study on the effects of mercury poisoning in their local waterways from a pulp mill spill in the 1970s. Logging has brought devastation to the boreal forests around Grassy Narrows. In addition, the rights of Ontario First Nations to have input into activities in their traditional territories is not always recognized or enforced.

Click here to read the email from Grassy Narrows

Director Eric Reder and WC National Scientist Andy Miller travelled to Grassy Narrows last fall to witness first-hand the unsustainable clearcutting which had been authorized by the Ontario government over the last decade. While we know Manitoba has some stunningly large and devastating clearcuts, the situation in Ontario is much worse. Below is an image taken during the trip to Ontario's Heart of the Boreal, showing clearcuts as far as the eye can see.

Click here to see this image full size (1.4 MB).

• McFadyen can't talk the line on BiPole 3, runs from the truth.
Hugh McFadyen, the leading proponent for disrupting on of the world's greatest intact forests with a hydro line, was short on facts and ran from questions on Tueday.

"Manitobans deserve to be given the truth about the Heart of the Boreal—the East Side of Lake Winnipeg,"said Eric Reder, Wilderness Committee Campaign Director. "About the best thing you could say is that Mr. McFadyen and his staff are not serving Manitobans well on this."

You can read the report of the run-in here. There is a transcript of the eventual conversation wth Mr. McFadyen. There area also audio and video recordings coming soon.

• Organizations get together to launch new website
Educational website on the Heart of the Boreal, the East Side of Lake Winnipeg shows the positive facts about this global treasure

The Wilderness Committee has teamed up with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and the Boreal Forest Network to launch a new educational website about the Heart of the Boreal--Manitoba’s gift to the world. It can be found at HeartoftheBoreal.ca

On March 17, we coordinated an action alert and news release with the U.S.-based National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The action alert calls on the government of Manitoba to keep working to preserve one of the greatest forests on our planet.

Read the NRDC blog post here

Read the news release here

Visit the HeartoftheBoreal.ca website

• New Protection Available for East Shore Wilderness Area
Province introduces legislation that will give legal status to land-use plans prepared by aboriginal communities located in the East Side.

On December 1, 2008, the Manitoba government presented a wonderful opportunity to preserve more of Manitoba for future generations. Bill 6, The East Side Traditional Lands Planning and Special Protected Areas Act provides a mechanism for communities on the East Shore to protect their traditional territories from development. With the acclamation of this Bill, communities may approach the government with land-use plans they have prepared for their traditional territories, and have the plan be given full legal status.

For several years, the Wilderness Committee has advocated for protection and permanent designation of the Poplar Nanowin Park Reserve, as requested by the Poplar River First Nation. At the press conference at the Manitoba Legislature after the introduction of Bill 6, Poplar River spoke in support of the Bill. "This legal tool is important for us at Poplar River as we finalize our land-use plan," said Chief Russell Lambert of the Poplar River First Nation.

Click here to read more about Bill 6

• Manitoba Hydro announces transmission line to be built down west side of province
The Manitoba government is to be commended for a strong stance towards protecting our environment and the East Side Wilderness Area. In September 2007, Manitoba Hydro announced they would be building Bipole III, their third major transmission line running from northern Manitoba, down the west side of the province rather than through the East Side Wilderness Area. In news interviews, Manitoba Hydro lamented that they couldn’t build down the East Side because the provincial government would not approve the plan.

The East Side Wilderness Area is a global treasure right here in Manitoba. It is the largest intact forest left in the northern hemisphere, and the second-largest intact forest left on the planet. This boreal region has been nominated as a United Nations World Heritage site because of its natural and cultural significance. Recently scientists from around the world asked that at least half of all remaining boreal forests in Canada be preserved. The boreal forest is the largest source of fresh water on earth, provides us with clean air, and helps regulate our climate.

Preventing a major hydro transmission line from bisecting this pristine boreal area is a positive action from the Manitoba government. Now we need the resources put in place so that permanent interconnected protected areas can be established on the East Side.