Seal River needs wide input

I would like to add my comments to the recent op-ed, Conservation shouldn’t come at the cost of access by Carly Deacon, May 5.

My operation, Gangler’s North Seal River Lodge, is the largest tourism/lodge operator in the proposed Seal River Watershed.

My family and I built the operation from nothing and it is considered one of the finest fly-in fishing/eco/hunting destinations in Canada. I was humbly awarded the 2025 Manitoba Tourism Award of Distinction for our efforts.

We have been outfitters for over 40 years, in Manitoba for 30, and bring over 700-800 guests a year into northern Manitoba, generating over $4 million annually into the Manitoba economy. Hiring and training Indigenous people from the local communities is a core of the Ganglers’ philosophy and some staff have been with us the full 30 years. We are a family.

We have been involved in discussions with Seal River Watershed and SRW director Stephanie Thorassie and her staff since 2021.

Stephanie is an inspiring individual and her passion and tenacity in bringing the SWR to where it is today are amazing. We share a love for the area and the need to protect it. We may not always agree on everything but I have a deep respect for her.

I’ll also note in August 2025, when our lodge was threatened by fires, Stephanie was the only person who helped us obtain badly needed assistance.

Ganglers has always believed the local people deserved a huge role in this area including employment opportunities and as stakeholders in local operations. However, as pointed out in Ms. Deacon’s op-ed, there are several things which do not seem fair.

I see no reason the federal government should have a role in the management of the provincial park. It must be managed by accountable Manitoba officials and Manitoba residents and local business owners should be part of the management process.

There is no mention of compensation for business owners and others who could suffer loss because of decisions rendered by unelected officials. As proposed, we would lose our guarantees of a fair process when selling or transferring the huge investments in our operation.

The current proposal has a sunset zone of ending resident and non-resident caribou hunting in 10 years (for Manitoba, a loss of several hundred thousand dollars a year in economic benefits). This proposal would also cost my Indigenous hunting staff and guides excellent jobs they love.

This makes no sense when unregulated commercial harvest of the same caribou continues unchecked north of the border in Nunavut.

The proposal constantly touts all the eco jobs it will create. I am the only business in the SRW who actively promotes eco trips and they can be challenging to sell and must have quality lodging available. The Seal River Watershed is an incredible area, but does not have Churchill’s polar bears and beluga whales.

I have tried to meet with Manitoba officials to discuss our concerns. We have written three letters in the last two years to Premier Wab Kinew and Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes, and have not received one response back. I am one of Manitoba’s largest outfitters with an economic investment in the SRW of several million dollars, yet could not even receive the courtesy of one letter acknowledging our concerns.

I finally met Moyes in a video meeting with the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association a few weeks ago. I shared my opinion that if constructed properly, the SRW could be an amazing thing but if constructed improperly, could devastate the northern Manitoba tourism economy and Manitoba in general.

I believe all Manitoba residents need to fully study all points of the proposal and add their input.

This affects seven per cent of the land mass of Manitoba and there are eight other Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas proposed.

It has been very difficult to get the real issues out to the public on an initiative the federal and provincial governments have backed with millions of dollars.

All concerns must be considered to create a proposal which is a win-win for all, protects this precious area and ensures the Manitoba economy will not be damaged.

Please add your opinions to https://engagemb.ca/.

Ken Gangler runs Gangler’s North Seal River Lodge.