Make Lake Winnipeg a legal ‘person’ with Constitutional rights, Manitoba chiefs request in lawsuit

3 hours ago 7

The lawsuit says Lake Winnipeg, one of the world's largest, has a spirit and is alive but is suffering

Author of the article:

Published Sep 19, 2024 • Last updated 1 minute ago • 1 minute read

WINNIPEG — A Manitoba court is being asked to declare Lake Winnipeg a person with Constitutional rights to life, liberty and security of person.

The contention is contained in a lawsuit filed by the province’s Southern Chiefs Organization, which hopes to use the lawsuit to force the government to hold public hearings on Manitoba Hydro’s licence renewal to continue regulating the lake’s waters for power generation.

Advertisement 2

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account.
National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
Support local journalism.

SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account.
National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.
Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
Enjoy additional articles per month.
Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Article content

The lawsuit says Lake Winnipeg, one of the world’s largest, has a spirit, is alive and is suffering.

It cites declines in the lake’s fish, wildlife and vegetation, as well as problems with algae, E. coli bacteria and invasive species.

The lawsuit blames those problems on Manitoba Hydro’s manipulation of water levels, which reverses natural flows and prevents the lake from flushing itself clean.

No statements of defence have been filed.

The lawsuit is latest attempt to establish rights for natural bodies.

The Innu First Nation in Quebec has declared personhood for the Magpie River and Alberta’s Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation has sought the same for the Athabasca River.

Neither claim has been tested in court.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

Article content

*** Disclaimer: This Article is auto-aggregated by a Rss Api Program and has not been created or edited by Bdtype.

(Note: This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News Rss Api. News.bdtype.com Staff may not have modified or edited the content body.

Please visit the Source Website that deserves the credit and responsibility for creating this content.)

Watch Live | Source Article