Nation-building while safeguarding nature and culture

Opinion

I stood with dozens of local residents and visitors on the rocky shore of Churchill as the waves lapped against the land in June of last year. Together, we joined in a traditional water ceremony led by local elders to honour the life-giving abundance of the Big Water.

After the ceremony, I went out on the water by boat with a group of regional people, the mayor of Churchill and provincial and federal government representatives. Gliding through the ice floes, we watched beluga whales surface and roll, their white backs gleaming against the seemingly endless sea. And I was aware of the polar bears that roamed the coastline in search of sustenance. It’s no wonder that people from across the globe dream of visiting Churchill. The belugas and bears inspire awe, but they also remind us of what’s at stake.

Western Hudson Bay is both breathtakingly beautiful and globally significant. Every summer, around 55,000 beluga whales (one-third of the planet’s population) gather here to raise their young. The world’s southernmost polar bear population, an iconic symbol of Canada, is facing severe threats from a warming climate. The whales and the bears both face challenges from the prospect of increasing shipping.

For thousands of years, Indigenous Peoples have called these shores home. Their knowledge, stories and cultural practices are inseparable from the land and water. Today, Churchill is also home to a thriving tourism industry built around this extraordinary natural heritage. It’s an economy that sustains families, small businesses and guides, and one that draws visitors who leave with a deeper respect for nature and culture.

There is growing national attention on Churchill, both for its role as Canada’s only deep-water Arctic port and for its potential as a strategic hub in global trade. We understand the importance of nation-building projects. In uncertain times, Canada must strengthen its economy, diversify trade and show leadership.

As the federal government advances its vision under the new Build Canada Act, an enhanced port at Churchill and increased shipping in Western Hudson Bay is on the short list for nation building projects. If this proceeds, we must ensure that measures are taken to safeguard the well-being of our greatest natural and cultural treasures. What good is new economic growth if it costs us the whales, the bears, the birds and the livelihoods tied to them?

There is a positive path forward. One that balances the needs of the economy, local cultures and the spectacular wildlife of the region. Canada has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a National Marine Conservation Area in Western Hudson Bay, as proposed by the federal government in 2018.

It could provide a clear, balanced framework for managing the bay’s waters in a way that sustains people, wildlife and ecosystems. It would bring together Indigenous nations, local residents, scientists, businesses and governments to make collective decisions about how to use and protect the bay. It could establish rules that allow for increased shipping while ensuring local people, whales, polar bears and seabirds continue to thrive.

The first step is straightforward: the federal government must launch a feasibility study for a marine conservation area in Western Hudson Bay. Such a study would assess ecological, cultural, economic and local priorities with northern communities at its heart.

Momentum is already building. At last year’s Honouring the Water gathering, Manitoba’s environment minister joined Parks Canada representatives, local leadership, regional people and others in conversations about securing Hudson Bay’s future.

There is real energy and optimism about what can be achieved if we act together. At the same time, pressures are mounting. Global trade tensions are driving calls for increased shipping and industrial activity. Without careful planning, we risk degrading the very ecosystems and established livelihoods that make Churchill unique.

Nation building should not mean repeating the mistakes of the past, carving up lands and waters for quick profits while leaving local communities to deal with the damage. It should mean building wisely, with foresight, respect and balance.

Western Hudson Bay offers Canada a chance to show the world how to do it right. We can respect Indigenous leadership and regional knowledge while ensuring communities prosper and our nation’s trade is diversified. And we can leave future generations a legacy they will thank us for, not one they will mourn.

The people of Churchill already know what they have: a national treasure of global significance.

The rest of Canada is starting to recognize it too. Let’s seize this opportunity not by sacrificing wildlife, culture and local economies in a panicked response to tariffs but by protecting and building on what we have as the foundation of true nation-building.

The Build Canada Act sets out to define ambitious projects for the country’s future. What better example could there be than securing Western Hudson Bay through a marine conservation area? Launching a feasibility study is the natural first step, a step that would align economic vision with ecological and cultural responsibility.

Let’s build a future where Canada’s economic prosperity and natural abundance thrive side by side.

Ron Thiessen is the executive director of CPAWS Manitoba.