Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Report - shows terrible NDP stewardship over the last eight years

The text of the final report of the Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board reflects the abysmal performance of the NDP over the last eight years.

Consider the following statements:

1) "Algal blooms on Lake Winnipeg continue to increase in frequency, duration and intensity, an ominous sign that the lake is not well."
Basically, the NDP have done virtually nothing to help Lake Winnipeg in eight years and the problem has got much, much worse under their watch.

2) "governments in the watershed are not aware of the water quality problems facing Lake Winnipeg."
The NDP is not adequately aware of the issues and it has not done enough to ensure all municipal and other governments are adequately aware of the problems.

3) "There is a need for the provincial and federal governments to develop and implement a long-term collaborative science plan for Lake Winnipeg."
The report makes it very clear that there is not now such a long term plan to ensure adequate scientific understanding of the critical issues around Lake Winnipeg. The provincial government has been so negligent in this respect that we do not now have an adequate scientific base to know what proporation of the phosphorous going into Lake Winnipeg comes from the hog industry - with estimates varying widely - all the way from 1% of the phosphorous up to 7.5% of the phosphorous. The failure of the provincial government to be sure that there is an adequate scientific basis for making decisions is a reflection on the dismal performance of the NDP over the last eight years - they have not even made sure we have some of the critical basic data to make good decisions.

Below are links to previous posts on my blog which deal with Lake Winnipeg and the actions which are needed.

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/10/why-we-need-better-stewardship-of-lake.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/10/lake-winnipeg-and-lake-winnipeg.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/11/manitoba-liberals-support-real-action.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/12/phosphorous-and-hogs.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/12/phosphorous-in-winnipegs-drinking.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/12/lake-winnipeg-algal-blooms-phosphorous.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/12/better-approaches-to-water-management.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/11/algal-toxins-more-reasons-to-clean-up.html

http://www.manitobaliberals.ca/2006/11/phosphorous-in-our-waterways-and.html

Roger Marshall Smith 1918-2007

This afternoon in Pinawa, I joined many others to celebrate the life of Roger Smith.

Roger, born in Winnipeg, and a graduate in physics of the University of Manitoba joined Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in 1947 at Chalk River, Ontario. He played a major role in the planning and development of the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Establishment and the town of Pinawa in Manitoba.

Roger was involved for many years with developing young people, most particularly with the Boy Scouts of Canada.

He was involved in many volunteer and community activities, including helping to bring electricity to First Nations communitites.

He loved to spend time with his grandchildren and was passionate in his fondness for musicals.

For his achievements, he was the recipient of the Order of Manitoba in 2000.

It is time to put children first not last

This morning many determined parents, child care workers, and early childhood educators braved the bitter -40 cold to rally at the Manitoba Legislature to demand action on child care in Manitoba.

It is now abundantly clear that the federal Conservatives' child care "strategy" - to try to buy votes by giving people $100.00 per month - is a dismal failure when it comes to supporting child care and creating new spaces. And, the provincial Conservatives have been a dismal failure when it comes to going after their federal colleagues.

It is also very clear that the provincial NDP have simply dropped the ball when it comes to children. Because the provincial NDP has failed in its duty to support children, many children, parents and child care workers are facing uncertainty as to what will happen on April 1.

It is our view as Liberals that the province must consider children first not last. It is our view that the province must first guarantee that the funding will be there to ensure current day care spaces will continue after April 1. Children should never have to shoulder the burden resulting from provincial-federal bickering.

There is a great need in Manitoba for more child care spaces - not fewer. Child care workers at the rally this morning talked of waiting lists which are two or three years long! It is totally unacceptable that young children have to wait two or three years. This is a very long time in the life of a child.

And as for cost, remember this. Careful studies in the past have shown that for every dollar spent on improved support for children in their early years there is a saving of seven dollars in other provincial expenditures in areas like child and family services, health care, education and justice. The NDP is once again being very short-sighted by refusing to ensure children are supported in this province.

Above is a group shot of some of the people at the rally, a photo of Don Woodstock who is one of the organizers of the rally, and me addressing the crowd.

[April 2010: This rally was the catalyst for change. It was the catalyst for the develoment of a expanded child care opportunities in Southdale, and for a series of announcments since then which have improved support for child care and early childhood education. However, we still have long wait lists for early childhood education, and we still have much more that needs to be done.]