Advocates sound alarm over mining exploration in caribou habitat
Wildlife advocates are sounding the alarm over provincially funded mining activities they fear will put Manitoba's threatened caribou population at risk.
Earlier this month, the province announced it would be giving $300,000 to NiCAN, a Toronto-based mineral exploration company.
The provincial dollars will be used to explore mining claims in an area inside the Grass River Provincial Park near Snow Lake in northern Manitoba.
It's an area that the Wildlife Committee – a wildlife advocacy group – said is also home to boreal caribou herds, a threatened species in Manitoba.
"Boreal caribou are very sensitive to disturbances. In some cases, the science shows that they'll move up to five kilometres away from a disturbance and not use that area anymore," said Eric Reder.
"The caribou are going to get disrupted, and every time we have disruption for caribou we see a fall-off in the number of caribou. They're already on the edge."
A provincial spokesperson told CTV News the Grass River Provincial Park is classified as a natural park with land-use categories including resource management use. The province issued a fly-in-only drilling program for NiCAN.
Natural Resources Minister Jamie Moses confirmed there is no heavy equipment, no bulldozers and no roads being developed with this project at all.
"All wildlife populations were considered with the issuing of this permit, including the caribou," Moses told CTV News. "After all that, it was deemed to have a very minimal impact on the caribou, and with additional protections in place we feel like we will be able to protect the caribou population in this region."
He said there are safeguards in place to protect the caribou, such as a requirement that the company stops work if caribou are observed within 500 metres of an exploration site.
The province also said site mitigation and restoration after work is complete are also important aspects of park permit requirements.
In an email to CTV News, NiCAN President and CEO Brad Humphrey said the company, which does early-stage mining explorations, is not undertaking any mine development activities at this time.
"NiCAN takes its responsibilities seriously and follows strict protocols everywhere that it operates, following, and in many cases exceeding, permit requirements and guidelines," the email reads.
But Reder worries this may not be enough to protect the caribou.
"By the time you've seen the caribou, you've already caused a problem," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.