Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Wilderness group blasts province over proposed copper mine in park

By: Bruce Owen

Posted: 02/1/2013 12:32 PM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 02/1/2013 4:59 PM | Updates

A local environmental group has condemned the province’s approval of a copper mine in Grass River Provincial Park.

Eric Reder, Manitoba campaign director with the Wilderness Committee, said Friday that despite objections from about 25,000 people to industrial development in provincial parks, the mine to be operated by Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company (Hudbay), is now in the final stages of getting approval from the government.

"I thought parks were the one place we could escape mining and find solace in undisturbed nature," Reder said. "This mine is a slap in the face of all Manitobans who, like me, value protecting wilderness."

Reder said although a full licence has not yet been granted, the province has quietly allowed Hudbay to establish an advance exploration project for this mine.

"As is often the case with the Manitoba government, the construction on site is so far along as to render the public consultations meaningless," he said in a release.

He also said the project is located near Reed Lake, a travel corridor for woodland caribou.

The province said the proposed mine is at the site of a former mine which was first opened before Grass River Provincial Park was created.

The company's application for an Environment Act License is out for public comment here.

History

Updated on Friday, February 1, 2013 at 2:38 PM CST: link fixed

4:59 PM: changes headline to remove inference province has approved the copper mine

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.