Governments pledge Lake Winnipeg cleanup

The federal and provincial governments have committed to help clean up Lake Winnipeg over the next several years.

A Memorandum of Understanding signed Monday between Manitoba and the federal government sets up a single authority to oversee stewardship of the lake, which has suffered from environmental damage in recent years.

The federal government also announced $875,000 for 20 projects to find ways to help clean up the lake.

The Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative has five goals: to reduce blue-green algae blooms; ensure fewer beach closings; keep in place a sustainable fishery; provide a clean lake for recreation; and restore the ecological integrity of the lake.

One project is headed by University of Winnipeg environmental toxicology expert Charles Wong.

"We're certainly excited and hopeful that it will be something that will improve water quality in Lake Winnipeg and hopefully in other watersheds that are impacted by pollution," said Wong. He added that Lake Winnipeg, the 10^th largest freshwater lake in the world, is a national treasure. But he said it took decades for the lake to get to the state its in now, and it will take years to restore it.

The federal governent has invested $17.7 million in the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative, which includes a comprehensive scientific research and monitoring program, governance initiatives, and support for community-based stewardship projects aimed at cleaning up the lake.