By Sarah Klein
Grass River Provincial Park (GOV.MB.CA)
An environmental licence issued to Hudbay’s Reed Mine copper project on Tuesday has the Wilderness Committee speaking out.
“It is hard news to take,” said Eric Reder, the committee’s campaign director. “Canada stopped mining national parks in 1930. Eight decades later and Manitoba still can’t join the party?”
The mine is located in Grass River Provincial Park in northwest Manitoba. Even though the area is designated as a provincial park, 99% of the 227,900-hectare park is not protected from development.
The group says the Hudbay’s Reed Mine authorization by the Manitoba government is a step back in time for water protection, wildlife preservation and parks. The licence is the first new provincial park mine in 25 years.
“Manitoba is shirking their responsibility to protect water and wildlife in the north,” said Reder. “The proof is in the numbers — 99% of a park is open for industrial destruction.”
The last mine in the park closed in 1993.
