Manitoba's 93rd provincial park announced

Today Natural Resources and Northern Development Minister Greg Nesbitt announced Pemmican Island as the 93rd provincial park.

The Manitoba government continues to show its commitment to protecting biodiversity across the province by designating Pemmican Island on Lake Winnipegosis as a provincial park to protect the area's ecosystem, wildlife habitat and unique landscapes.

"Our government recognizes the importance of protecting nature and by designating Pemmican Island as a provincial park, we will ensure its diverse ecosystem and intrinsic cultural value will be preserved for future generations," says Nesbitt. "This island will be protected and will remain undeveloped, ensuring that Manitobans are able to enjoy natural sites and Indigenous Peoples have continued access to the area for hunting, trapping, fishing and other traditional pursuits."

Pemmican Island is located in the north basin of Lake Winnipegosis, approximately 175 kilometres north of Dauphin. The 27-hectare island is mostly made up of limestone outcrops and cliffs, boulders, gravel and sand, and a wide variety of trees can be found inland—American elm, Manitoba maple, and trembling aspen.

The island provides habitat for a variety of colonial waterbirds including nesting grounds of double-crested cormorants, a species protected under the Wildlife Act. Several other bird species protected by federal and provincial legislation have also been detected on the island, including the American white pelican, herring gull, ring-billed gull, Caspian tern, and common merganser.

"Protecting this culturally and ecologically significant island is a win for all Manitobans," says Ron Thiessen, Executive Director of the Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society (CPAWS). "CPAWS congratulates the Manitoba government, regional First Nations, and all the citizens who participated in achieving this successful outcome."

The Manitoba government is designating Pemmican Island as a provincial park based on the positive feedback received during a 45-day public consultation period. In all, 96 per cent of the 426 participants who took part in the survey were in favour of the designation.

Pemmican Island is being classified as a natural park and designated for backcountry land use, which prohibits any activity that may significantly affect habitat, contributing to Manitoba’s network of protected and conserved areas.

The Manitoba government's long-term commitment to establishing a network of protected areas began in 1990 when the province became the first jurisdiction in Canada to commit to protecting examples of all of its diverse landscapes. Since 1990, Manitoba's network of protected and conserved areas has increased from 350,000 hectares to just over 7.2 million hectares today, or approximately 11.1 per cent of the province.

Nesbitt says that protected areas are the most effective and economical way to protect wildlife populations, maintain natural cycles and safeguard pristine areas.

For more information on protected areas in Manitoba, visit www.manitobaprotectedareas.com.

Manitobans can stay up to date with provincial park news, activities and events by following Manitoba Parks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MBGovParks or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBGovParks.