A new coalition in Riding Mountain National Park is asking the Federal Court to overturn a Parks Canada ban on motorboats on Clear Lake, citing a lack of consultation with cottagers and local businesses. Fairness for Clear Lake has brought together individual citizens, community organizations and local businesses to work towards a more respectful relationship between Parks Canada and Canadians who enjoy our national parks.
MWF recently met with representatives from Fairness for Clear Lake to compare notes on their experience with Parks Canada’s failure to engage with stakeholders prior to decisions affecting recreational use of our outdoor spaces.
This theme is a familiar one for MWF members who have been excluded from and then negatively affected by Parks Canada decisions, including
- The prohibition on licensed hunters and anglers from Wapusk National Park, despite assurances to the contrary;
- Failure to consult with private landowners potentially affected by the Ecological Corridors Program in southwest Manitoba; and
- Exclusion from discussions on proposals to establish national parks as Indigenous Protected Areas.
MWF has for years advocated for a national strategy – rather than patchwork decision-making – to address Aquatic Invasive Species. While it is disappointing that court action has become necessary, MWF wishes Fairness for Clear Lake well in their efforts to encourage a more open and transparent relationship between Parks Canada and Canadians.
