Manitoba First Nations seek billions in damages over Winnipeg sewage spill
CBC News
Massive February spill into Red River caused significant harm for downstream communities: lawsuit. Story here.
Conservative MP Absent From a Child Poverty Forum in Southwestern Manitoba.
Are hungry kids a priority for the Harper government? by Larry Powell The forum (for the riding of Dauphin - Swan River - Neepawa) was sponsored by the Mission and Services Committee of the Neepawa United Church. It drew about 80 people to the church on Wednesday. But only four of the five candidates (see below) took part in the debate - Ray Piché (Liberal), Kate Storey (Green Party), Inky Mark (Ind.) and Laverne Lewycky (NDP) . The 5th candidate, the sitting Conservative MP for the area, Robert Sopuck (represented by the empty chair on the right), did not attend. His office manager in Neepawa, Christine Waddell, said he was in Inglis, a small community in the western part of the riding for the evening. She did not elaborate. But she did explain that a campaign worker was mistaken when he told forum organizers earlier that Mr. Sopuck would, in fact be there. Piché , the Liberal candidate, said the MP's absence showed “disrespect” for the rest of the candidates
Comments
Applause for chiefs
Re: ‘Water is life’: First Nations launch $4-B suit over Lake Winnipeg pollution (May 1)
I am writing to support and applaud the chiefs of eight
Scientists have known for many years that Winnipeg’s sewage is the largest point source of phosphorus and nitrogen, nutrients that are feeding the blue-green algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg and that, as a point source, the problem is fixable, although costly. However, it is important to note that non-point sources of phosphorus and nitrogen are abundant in Manitoba when you consider the vast amounts of hog manure that are spread on cropland every year.
Most people don’t know that the regulations in Manitoba allow for the spreading of up to five times crop removal rates of phosphorus and nitrogen, as long as manure is not re-applied to that same land for five years. The problem with this regulation is that the excess phosphorus and nitrogen that is left in the soil become available to run off during heavy rainstorms or flood events. That runoff gets into ditches, creeks, streams and eventually into Lake Winnipeg and other Manitoba lakes, resulting in sometimes toxic algal blooms.
Considering that Manitoba has by far the most intensive hog industry of anywhere in Canada (averaging almost 6,000 pigs per farm, compared to the national average of less than 2,000 per farm), there is a huge amount of manure to be applied every year.
I have been involved in advocating for Lake Winnipeg for the past 16 years and am sorry to say that I’ve seen very little real action to restore the health of the lake. The answers to this problem are there, but to date, the political will has been absent. I hope this bold move by the Manitoba First Nations will result in the investments that are desperately needed both in Winnipeg’s sewage system and the industrial hog industry.
Vicki Burns
Winnipeg