Endangered Lake Gets Life-Saving Funding

With alarmingly high nutrient loads in Lake Winnipeg, Canada, the government is granting funding to various projects aimed at curbing harmful activities to nature and humans alike.

“Healthier lakes mean economic growth, more recreational opportunities, and a healthier, sustainable ecosystem that protects biodiversity,” explains Environment and Climate Change Canada parliamentary secretary Terry Duguid.

Spanning nearly one million square kilometers, Lake Winnipeg is the water source to close to seven million people across four provinces and four U.S. states. The federal government is investing $1.59 million in projects designed to reduce levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in Canada’s sixth-largest lake since both nutrients lower oxygen levels and devastate animal life. Among the recipients of funding is the Southern Chiefs’ Organization with $50,000 to strengthen Manitoba First Nations’ capacity to monitor water sources and test them – an activity they were doing out of their own pockets until they received $130,000 in federal funds in 2019 and 2020. Today, they can incorporate Indigenous Knowledge and community decision-making in water protection. InnoVantage, a Winnipeg-based tech company will also receive funding to further the development of their prototype designed to capture and remove phosphorus sludge from municipal wastewater systems in Taché, Manitoba, and transform it into compost.