Lake Winnipeg may see federal dollars flowing from Ottawa
Lake Winnipeg may be seeing some federal dollars flowing its way.
The 2023 federal budget proposes $650 million over 10 years starting in 2023/24 going towards monitoring, assessment and restoration work in several rivers and lakes including Lake Winnipeg and Lake of the Woods.
It is something the Lake Winnipeg Foundation has been waiting to hear for years. In 2021, the Federal Liberals promised $1 billion for freshwater action over 10 years.
"This year, we didn't quite get the $1 billion, but we did get a fairly significant investment over 10 years for freshwater protection across the country," Alexis Kanu, the executive director of the Lake Winnipeg Foundation, told CTV News.
As for how much Lake Winnipeg will actually see, that remains to be seen. Ottawa has already promised $420 million in funding over 10 years for the Great Lakes.
Whatever the dollar amount, Kanu said the foundation will be pushing for evidence-based investment in phosphorus reduction.
"We really want to see this funding, however much the total ends up being for Lake Winnipeg, we want to see it directed to phosphorus hotspots where it will have the biggest impact and improving water quality and Lake Winnipeg," she said.
The Lake Winnipeg Foundation is also wanting to see the funding bring Indigenous people into water governance.
"For too long Indigenous rights holders and Indigenous governments have been excluded from water decision-making," she said. "This new 10-year freshwater funding program provides an opportunity to start to correct some of those long-standing wrongs."
With Lake Winnipeg being the world's 10th largest freshwater lake by surface area, Kanu said this investment is important for the lake's future.
"We really need to protect it to make sure that the lake country continues to contribute to our well-being and to our livelihoods," she said.
The budget also proposes the creation of a Canada Water Agency to be headquartered in Winnipeg, with $85.1 million over five years starting this year. The budget says by the end of 2023, the federal government will introduce legislation it says will fully establish the agency as a standalone entity.
—With files from CTV News' Charles Lefebvre
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.