Motorboats to return to Clear Lake this summer

Motorboats will be allowed to return to Clear Lake this summer, a year after they were banned amid the discovery of invasive species.

Parks Canada officials said Wednesday watercraft inside the Riding Mountain National Park lake would be permitted under a mandatory tagging program and several other conditions.

“We’re pleased, but we also want to see how it will be implemented,” said Trevor Boquist, spokesperson for the Fairness for Clear Lake advocacy group.

“I would say we want to be part of the conversation of how this will be implemented.”

In addition to the tagging program that dictates the watercraft can only be used on Clear Lake, other measures include an expanded no-wake zone to help protect shorelines, a two-day-a-week motorboat ban and designated dawn and dusk “quiet” periods for non-motorized craft use only.

The park’s aquatic invasive species program will continue to require all watercraft, fishing equipment, wet suits and inflatable toys be inspected by Parks Canada staff. That equipment must be properly cleaned and drained.

In 2023, Parks Canada instituted a “one boat, one lake” policy following the discovery of invasive and destructive zebra mussels. In 2024, all boats were banned except for the Martese tour boat, in 2025 it, too, was banned.

A Parks Canada news release said officials are still working out the final details of the program, and will share them before the operating season starts in May.

Riding Mountain National Park superintendent Tom Sheldon said the priority of the plan is to uphold the ecological integrity of the lake in a balanced way that respects the diversity of ways the public uses the park.

“As much as possible, what we hope is that when folks look at this decision, that they can appreciate how others connect with and value Clear Lake in ways that may be different than they do,” he said Wednesday.

“People care about Riding Mountain National Park so deeply, and care about Clear Lake so deeply in their own unique ways.”

Riding Mountain MP Dan Mazier said he supports the reintroduction of boats as a product of democracy. The advocacy and pushback that arose in response to last summer’s ban contributed to this year’s policy change, he said.

“They listened to the community. I’ve been asking for this and the community has been asking for this,” he said. “We’ve got boats back on Clear Lake, with some caveats that need to be discussed further.”

While he is happy to hear the news, he said he will continue to watch the policy roll out at the lake to avoid a possible “slippery slope” of increased boating bans over time.

“We’re pleased, but we also want to see how it will be implemented.”

“I’m going to be watching that, and I think the community is going to be watching that, to make sure that the park, all of a sudden, doesn’t decide: ‘We’re going to make it three days, or make it more hours,’ or anything like that.”

Ian Drul, reeve of nearby Harrison Park, also welcomed the news.

“It’s a good thing for tourism in the area,” he said. “They’ve done a lot of consultation, looked at a lot of environmental risks and they’ve done a lot of due diligence.”

Calling it “one piece of the puzzle” in getting more people to the area, Drul says he’s hopeful boating on the lake will fuel the wider economy.

Parks Canada said it plans to create a proposed fee schedule for boat launches and will host public consultation this summer.

The Martese tour boat will continue to operate during the two days each week when motorboats are banned.

Kelsey Connor, owner and operator of the Martese, called the news positive after a challenging two years.

“While much work lies ahead, we look forward to continuing our services and contributing to the visitor experience and enjoyment of Clear Lake,” Connor said in an email.

People who want to use other watercraft, such as canoes and kayaks, on Clear Lake must either get a permit allowing them to launch their boats only on Clear Lake, or a permit to launch only on outlying bodies of water in Riding Mountain, including Lake Audy, Moon Lake and Lake Katherine.

The decision to allow motorboats and put new management measures in place comes after several months of public engagement sessions, consultation with Indigenous groups, environmental monitoring and a review of literature, the release said.

Parks Canada officials will continue working with governments, Indigenous groups and non-government organizations on how to best deal with zebra mussels.

“They listened to the community. I’ve been asking for this, and the community has been asking for this.”

Boquist said Fairness for Clear Lake is working to form a “collective agreement” so the Clear Lake Cabin Association, the Clear Lake Cottage Owners Association and the Wasagaming Chamber of Commerce will be represented in future decisions at the park.

“How do we put something in place that brings accountability, so that we never have to form Fairness for Clear Lake again?” he said. “How do we make sure we don’t wind up back in the same situation?”

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Jen Zoratti | Next

Wednesdays

What's next in arts, life and pop culture.

Sign up for Jen Zoratti | Next

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

He said the advocacy group spent roughly two-thirds of the $115,000 that it fundraised to challenge the boat ban in 2025.

Parks Canada also said it plans to “accelerate the advancement” of a joint stewardship or management agreement for Clear Lake with Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation.

Clear Lake has been grappling with the presence of zebra mussels since the first confirmed detection in November 2023, when a cluster of 48 live mussels was discovered. In October 2024, eight juvenile zebra mussels were found. That same month, zebra mussels were also discovered attached to dock infrastructure along the lake’s north shore.

During 2025 monitoring, one zebra mussel veliger — microscopic larvae— was detected for the first time. Parks Canada also found two adult zebra mussels and roughly 15 juveniles.

— Brandon Sun, with files from Morgan Modjeski and Erik Pindera