Creating a New Provincial Park in Manitoba's magnificent Fisher Bay area could provide an annual net gain of $38 million, says a new economic study released by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and Fisher River Cree Nation (FRCN). The Manitoba government has committed to establishing the park by October 2010, but its boundaries have not yet been determined.
The new independent study conducted by the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources says that the park, if it's designed as proposed by FRCN and CPAWS, could provide economic benefits 18 times greater than if the area were harvested by logging, mining, and non-Aboriginal hunting.
The new park would prohibit industrial activities while upholding and respecting all aboriginal and Treaty Rights. Just two hours north Winnipeg, Fisher Bay has an ideal location and majestic landscape; creation of a park in this area offers numerous sustainable economic opportunities for local communities.
"Our community wants this park because it makes sense economically, ecologically, and culturally," says Fisher River's Chief David Crate. "By keeping the area natural we will maintain traditional subsistence activities and provide more than 100 jobs through avenues such as park management and eco- and cultural tourism ventures."
The area
Located on the west side of Lake Winnipeg is a truly spectacular boreal forest wilderness area called the Fisher bay region. It consists of treed shorelines with long sandy beaches, large islands covered with old growth forests, wetlands freshwater reefs, and a big section of Lake Winnipeg's water.
This richly diverse wildlife sanctuary provides well for moose, elk, bears, eagles, many fish and waterfowl species, and songbirds. Its little-used beaches are suitable grounds for the Piping Plover, a highly endangered shorebird, to lay its eggs.
Canoeing, kayaking, sailing, hiking, bird watching, and fishing are just some of the popular recreational activities in the area that are ripe to be further developed with sustainable community initiatives.