Farmers worried that they will be blamed for Lake Winnipeg’s water woes would have been alarmed by the federal environment minister’s visit to Winnipeg.
As he announced $11 million in research funding for water pollution control, farming was the first cause of pollution that he named.
“Agricultural runoff and municipal waste water effluence have been loading the lake with phosphorus and nitrogen and now are taking a hold of the lake and damaging both its health and its vitality,” John Baird said Nov. 7.
He announced the research and monitoring funding for pollution control measures across Lake Winnipeg’s watershed, which includes Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. He said the $11 million, plus $7 million previously announced this year, are designed to produce a sharper picture of where the pollution is coming from and how to control it.
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“The time for studying whether there is a problem or not is over and we should shut the book on any studies that look to find the problem,” said Baird.
“We know the problem exists and today we’re acting.”
Lake Winnipeg’s state, perhaps the highest profile issue in Manitoba, has potential consequences for agriculture. The provincial government has begun restricting agricultural operation approvals based on their phosphorus outflows, which worries both crop and livestock producers, who use the fertilizer or produce the manure.
“It’s a very unfair attribution of blame,” said David Rolfe, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, a farm lobby group.
“We’re an easy target. That’s the problem.”
Rolfe said natural habitat runoff, sewage from cities and leaking septic systems from acreages and cottages are far bigger problems, but harder to attack.
“There seems to be a misperception among people who are less informed that agriculture is the main cause of the degradation of Lake Winnipeg.”
Baird was joined at his announcement by Manitoba’s cabinet representative, Vic Toews, two members of Parliament for Manitoba and a senator. All were Conservatives. No provincial government representative was there.
Provincial water stewardship minister Christine Melnick did not criticize the federal government for making independent announcements about a shared responsibility, and was generally positive about the new money.
“I think we have to be very positive about the fact that they’re actually coming to the table,” said Melnick. “We thought it was good.”
Earlier that day Melnick met with Baird to discuss the Lake Winnipeg issue.
But federal NDP MP Pat Martin, who watched the announcement from the back, said the money was too little and a stark example of unfair treatment of Manitoba.
“They would have had a wheelbarrow of money if we were in Ontario,” said Martin, who pointed out that comparatively tiny Lake Simcoe is receiving $12 million to help with its water quality.
“They wouldn’t have come with a thin cheque. They would have come with a wheelbarrow full of dough because, God knows, they’ve got it.”
