Dear Editor:
A Brief Background of The Little Saskatchewan River: Where are the obligations of water stewardship
It is beyond reason. I cannot understand the logic of the Province, issuing a licence for an irrigation project that will withdraw water from the already fragile ecosystem of the Little Saskatchewan River.
Even in the driest of years, over 50 percent of the water released at the dam (Rivers Reservoir), is allotted for this project. This is the one and only river, made in Manitoba. With it’s headwaters at
Riding Mountain National Park, it empties into the Assiniboine River a few miles west of the city of Brandon.
An open Letter to the Conservation/Water Stewardship minister and Premier Selinger, regarding Manitoba's Little Saskatchewan River: There has been no decision on the appeals provided,and that was 34 months ago. Replies to all my previous requests are repetitive; "A decision has not yet been made on this appeal." What is taking so long, I ask?
I don’t think that former Conservation /Water Stewardship Minister Mackintosh spent very much time looking at the appeals and why the Little Saskatchewan River should be given a reprieve;
at least, until a dedicated in-fl ow study was carried out (as promised by former Water Stewardship Minister Christine Melnick).
How many filed appeals would it take, as apparently nine was not enough?
Let's face it. This was a “done deal” from its plan and early conception. The issuing of a license was only a formality.
Pipeline infrastructure was being put in place as far back as 2011 according to eye witness reports. What does that suggest to you?
This is just ONE more example of how the province does business. Water continually gets trumped by development and economics. Regulations are not followed and it is evident that the entire water staff involved with this, have some explaining to do. It's time to discharge the lot and hire personnel to do the work properly as it should be.
Manitoba’s Governor General released a negative report several years ago on how the Province randomly issues water licenses. Perhaps the appropriate department and the minister have not taken the time to read that report,as yet? That said, I do not believe "above and beyond requirements” were taken to obtain environmental approval.
Lets face the facts as they have been presented by Ms. Ruth Pryzner: The public interest and the interest of the Little Saskatchewan River have been abandoned by the Province. The betrayal of the basic fundamentals of stewardship and protection of this water system is evident.
The public expects and deserves better,and as we have been warned by Justice Horace Krever: "The relationship between a regulator and the regulated must never become one in which the
regulator (the Province) loses sight that it regulates only in the public interest and not in the interests of the regulated."
A full public inquiry is in order as to why this was allowed to take place.
John Fefchak
Virden, MB
