Did the Federal Government understand the assignment?

On World Water Day (March 22), we are grading the federal government’s action on Lake Winnipeg.  

In collaboration with LWF, we presented Five Things the Federal Government Must Do for Lake Winnipeg back in December 2020. 

Now after one year how has the federal government done?

Progress has been slow and while many opportunities still exist, when it comes to directly engaging with Indigenous people in conservation the government missed the assignment.

We are calling immediate investment through Budget 2022. 

• Renewed federal funding for Lake Winnipeg

• Targeted funding to phosphorus hotspots

• Meaningful inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in freshwater policy and management

The need to improve the health of Lake Winnipeg has been acknowledged for years through the policy priorities, mandate letters and throne speeches of successive federal governments. We know what we need to do. We have the tools to do it. What’s missing is follow-through. 

How we graded 

Under the paper’s five overarching recommendations, we assigned grades to 13 immediate actions – necessary first steps to improve the health of Lake Winnipeg. We received publicly available documents and statements related to federal commitments for Lake Winnipeg, and considered the five-year timeline in which each action can be achieved. 

An F grade was given for the failure to engage Indigenous governments as signatories to the Canada-Manitoba Memorandum of Understanding Respecting Lake Winnipeg and the Lake Winnipeg Basin. This agreement is primary working document for collaboration between the province and federal government on protecting Lake Winnipeg. Indigenous people must be partners in the protection of the lake because of both our rights to participate in this process, but also our deep connection and knowledge of the lake. Yet the agreement was renewed in August 2021 without us and won’t be renewed again for 5 to 10 years. There are many ways to cooperate, but missing this one hurt.

B grades were assigned to three immediate actions, in recognition that the federal government is on track towards fulfilment with opportunities for improvement. No A grades were assigned. 

Today’s report card is a reminder that good intentions, symbolic gestures and funding announcements are not enough. We must draw upon the depth of evidence from scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders to address long-standing and pervasive harms to our shared lake. It’s time for the federal government follow through on past commitments. 

You can read the full report card.

Help us hold the federal government accountable 

Get active online: 

Follow LWF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and follow the Lake Winnipeg Indigenous Collective on Facebook and Instagram. Then, like and share our World Water Day posts to help spread the message! 

Want to communicate directly with key federal decision-makers in advance of Budget 2022? Tag them on social media and tell them you expect targeted investment in Lake Winnipeg 

Find Environment and Climate Change Canada Minister Steven Guilbeault on Instagram at @stevenguilbeault and on Twitter at @s_guilbeault 

Find Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Instagram at @chrystiafreeland and on Twitter at @cafreeland 

Budget 2022 must invest in Lake Winnipeg. It’s time to complete the assignment.