NEWS RELEASE—For Immediate Release—Friday, October 23, 2009.

Meditation Lake development decision a victory for Manitobans!

Wilderness Committee calls for Backcountry zoning and algae study as sustainable uses of important Whiteshell lake

WIlderness Committee volunteers at Meditation Lake during the summer of 2008.

The government's decision to cease development plans for Meditation Lake in the Whiteshell Provincial Park is a great victory for Manitobans and the Wilderness Committee. The Government of Manitoba should be congratulated for making the decision to leave Meditation Lake as a walk-in, remote-access destination.

"This is wonderful news!" exclaimed Eric Reder, Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee. "Manitobans spoke very clearly on this issue. They love their parks, they don't want to see more development, and they really value wilderness and intact natural areas."

Hundreds of Manitobans expressed disappointment and outrage in the spring after a roadway was bulldozed to Meditation Lake, where a private youth camp was secretly being planned. The Wilderness Committee spearheaded the efforts to have the development stopped, and brought to light the deadly water conditions that afflict Meditation Lake, making it a poor location for a camp.

While the halt to development at Meditation Lake is welcome, the Wilderness Committee's Meditation Lake campaign is not over. The Wilderness Committee is calling for the area around Meditation and Horseshoe Lakes to be reclassified as a Backcountry zone under the Provincial Park Act, which will legally prohibit any future development.

In addition, the Wilderness Committee is calling on Water Stewardship to conduct intensive but non-invasive water and air sampling at Meditation Lake. The toxic algae bloom which occurred in Meditation Lake is a poorly understood phenomenon, but is similar to other algae blooms occurring around Manitoba. The size and isolated location of Meditation Lake make it an ideal place to study the conditions that trigger toxic algae blooms. The information collected from Meditation Lake would be a great benefit to Manitoba as we contend with future algae problems.

"We've had a lot of silent inaction from Water Stewardship branch on Meditation Lake," said Reder. "It's time they publicly commit to research at this site, for the betterment of our future."

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The Meditation Lake Development Fiasco campaign is part of the Wilderness Committee's Wildlands and Public Lands Defence programs.

Read more about this development in the Winnipeg Sun, the CBC and the Winnipeg Free Press.

For more information please contact: Eric Reder, Manitoba Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee, (204) 997-8584.