R.M. of Springfield group calls for water rights bylaw from residents
A group of residents in the R.M. of Springfield is holding the first of three information sessions tonight in Anola, Man. sparked by concerns over the future of the area’s water supply.
The Springfield Taxpayers Rights Corp. is worried about the potential impact two industrial operations could have on the availability and quality of water in the area.
The group feels its local municipality hasn’t done enough to ensure aquifers are protected.
“They’ve allowed some high water usage businesses to come in,” said Margaret Marion-Akins, one of the organizers of the information sessions and a resident in the R.M. of Springfield for 40 years.
Residents in the rural municipality just east of Winnipeg get their drinking water from wells drilled into underground aquifers.
It is a system they have come to rely on but one Akins and her husband Allan worry may be at risk due in part to drought, climate change, and a lack of municipal regulation.
They’re calling on their local mayor and council to implement a residents-first water rights bylaw.
“Because that’s our livelihood, that’s our most precious resource here,” said Allan Akins.
For the Akins, the concern stems from local leaders allowing a peat moss mixing facility to open on agricultural land near their home with, what they say was a lack of public input.
The Akins are concerned about the amount of water the business, which became fully operational this past August, will use.
“Council has said numerous times on record that they recognize we’re getting into drought periods, yet they have no idea how much consumption from the aquifer this community can take,” Akins said.
Tiffany Fell, mayor of the R.M. of Springfield, said she’s aware of the group’s concerns.
“We understand that our water needs to be protected,” Fell said, adding the municipality has conducted multiple water studies since 2014, which make several recommendations to safeguard the drinking water supply.
“There have been robust studies done to protect our water and we are going to be implementing those recommendations,” Fell said.
Fell said the municipality is supportive of a recent decision by the provincial government to order an assessment of a second operation in the municipality — a proposed silica sand extraction project — which will be subject to a public hearing and environmental review by the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission.
Some residents are concerned about the impact that project could have on the quality of their water.
“So there is a large concern for the protection of us as homeowners, because without water we really don’t have much, do we,” Marion-Akins said.
Berger, the Quebec-based company that runs the peat moss plant, said in a recent statement to CTV News Winnipeg it’s staying in close contact with residents. The company said it’s very sensitive to their concerns and that every protective measure regarding water has been implemented.
The meeting in Anola will be held at the Anola Community Club from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A second meeting will be held on Dec. 7 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Cooks Creek Community Centre followed by a third meeting on Dec. 9 at Dugald Community Club from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Organizers said public health measures will be followed and that proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required to attend.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.