Public lands, for all Manitobans

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/03/2025 (227 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation (MWF) would like to respond to the Think Tank piece by Taylor Galvin (“Indigenous-led conservation is not a threat”, Free Press, March 5), which criticized the MWF for defending the rights of all Manitobans to be included in provincial and federal planning processes that could curtail access to our public lands.

With respect to Galvin who suggests “we need not worry”, we firmly believe the threats to public access are only too real. The MWF has already been put in the position of having to challenge recent decisions made by the provincial government (e.g., moose license reductions) and proposals by the federal government (e.g. Seal River Protected Area) — purportedly based on conservation but lacking any scientific foundation and any real inclusion of our communities. National Parks like Wapusk in the North have already curtailed access for licensed hunters, after promises were made to the contrary. We are not fear-mongering, we are actually afraid, and we strongly believe we have reason to be.

Galvin rightly points out that Indigenous communities have been excluded from land-use decisions for far too long. Yes, and we agree that was wrong. And now, our organization and other like-minded groups and individuals are being excluded from the processes pushing for increased land protection.

Galvin says that “Indigenous-led conservation is about inclusion”, but governments are engaging exclusively with Indigenous communities and environmental activist organizations when it comes to Crown land planning, excluding the rest of us who own cottages on Crown lands, who hunt and fish on those lands and who are making a living in those places.

To date, our questions and concerns have not been addressed, we have not been part of the planning or consultation process, nor have we been invited to sit at the table as a valued stakeholder. It was wrong to exclude Indigenous peoples from these tables in the past, but two wrongs don’t make a right.

The worst part is that by setting up the processes in this fashion, the provincial and federal governments have put us in conflict with people like Galvin, and that’s tragic. Taylor’s passion for the land comes through in her piece.

The MWF has not evolved from being a wildlife conservation organization. We represent licensed hunters and anglers who are passionate about healthy lands and waters too, as evidenced by their millions of dollars in private contributions to conservation projects. We probably have more in common than not. Our position comes back to understanding that there is only one resource and many invested stakeholders.

The only way to accomplish successful conservation initiatives is to agree to manage those resources under a shared regime, with respect and opportunity for all. If this whole process would’ve started with all of us in a room, breaking bread and finding common ground, much of the angst in these back-and-forth op-eds could’ve probably been avoided.

Many Manitobans depend on access to public lands for cottaging, hiking, camping, angling and hunting, and enjoy the benefits of sustainable resource management. We should all be concerned with approaches that seek to remove any of us from the consultation process, or that could curtail access to ‘protected’ areas and put them under the control of unelected boards and bureaucracies.

Equally concerning is the fact that the environmental groups seeking control over our public lands are themselves funded almost entirely by the federal government. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and Ducks Unlimited Canada — identified as “supporters” in this campaign — are being paid millions of taxpayers’ dollars to deliver an agenda that we believe will ultimately restrict the rights of ordinary Manitobans to enjoy our public lands.

We should all remember not to blame people like Taylor Galvin for setting up one-sided engagements that exclude many of us from the process of deciding what happens on our Crown lands.

Governments have done that, not Indigenous people. Manitobans must hold elected officials accountable on how they manage our public resources and to ensure we all have a fair and equal say, and we simply cannot turn these decisions over to advocacy groups with an agenda, federal bureaucrats or unelected officials.

Manitoba’s public lands must remain public and accessible for all of us and future generations to enjoy.

Carly Deacon is managing director of the Manitoba Wildlife Federation.