Latest news with #RidingMountainNationalPark
CTV News
20 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Parts of Manitoba under tornado watch
A scenic shot of the lake in Riding Mountain National Park. (Source: Bradley Abells) A low pressure system could brew severe thunderstorms and potential tornado activity in parts of Manitoba. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a tornado watch for areas in the southwest, including Dauphin, Russell, Riding Mountain National Park, Roblin and Minnedosa. According to the weather agency, the system coming from Saskatchewan is set to track through southwest Manitoba by early Thursday night, bringing a chance of severe thunderstorms that could produce tornadoes. Manitoba tornado watch A map on Environment and Climate Change Canada's website shows regions in Manitoba under severe thunderstorm and tornado watches. Large hail up to six centimetres, wind gusts up to 110 km/h, and heavy rain are also likely. 'This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. Be prepared for severe weather. Take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches,' the weather alert said. In the event of the tornado, the weather agency advises going indoors to a room on the lowest floor, staying away from outside walls and windows, like a basement, bathroom, stairwell or interior closet, leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers or other temporary or free-standing shelters, and move to a strong building if you can. As a last resort, lie in a low spot and protect your head from falling debris. Much of the southwest is also under a severe thunderstorm watch, with similar conditions expected, including large hail, strong winds and heavy rain.
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Group files court action to overturn Parks Canada ban on motorized watercraft for Clear Lake
An advocacy group for Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park has filed an application for a judicial review of Parks Canada's decision to once again ban motorized watercraft in the battle against zebra mussels. "This is not a move we take lightly. Our goal is not conflict — it is collaboration," Fairness for Clear Lake, a coalition of cottage owners and businesses around the park in western Manitoba, wrote in a news release on Wednesday. The group, which filed the application June 16, wants a judge to declare the decision "invalid or unlawful" and order the attorney general of Canada to allow motorized watercraft back onto the lake. Parks Canada announced in May that it made the "difficult decision" to impose the boating restrictions for a second consecutive summer "to protect the health of Clear Lake." Under the ban, non-motorized watercraft — including kayaks, canoes and inflatables — can still operate under certain conditions, which include an annual permit, limitations on which bodies of water are used, an inspection and a cleaning protocol. That decision was made without meaningful consultation, clear evidence or regard for the economic, cultural and community impacts it would have, a news release from Fairness for Clear Lake says. "While legal action is not our preferred path, there has been no meaningful progress from Parks Canada in engaging stakeholders, providing evidence or working toward a collaborative solution," it says. "After months of outreach and silence, this became our only viable option to protect the interests of our community." CBC News has requested comment from Parks Canada but has not yet received a response. In 2023, after zebra mussel environmental DNA was found in Clear Lake water, Parks Canada instituted a "one boat, one lake" policy for Clear Lake that required a boat to only be used there and on no other body of water. Environmental DNA is genetic material shed by organisms into their environment. Sources include feces, shed skin or carcasses. Any time a boat was removed from the lake, it had to be tagged and sealed to the trailer. If the tag was tampered with, the boat was not allowed back on the lake. Fears about the invasive species were realized in November that year, when the first zebra mussels were discovered at Boat Cove, in the south edge of the lake. The following summer, Parks Canada set up a two-kilometre underwater curtain at Boat Cove in an attempt to contain them. The effort failed when the curtain dislodged days after installation. Watercraft were banned for 2024 to protect the lake and prevent any further spread of zebra mussels. Still, hundreds of live juvenile zebra mussels were found in September, attached to docks and other structures near the east end of the lake. In January 2025, Parks Canada said the full extent of the zebra mussel infestation is yet unknown but acknowledged that eradicating them was no longer feasible — it would require identifying the entire population, then isolating and containing them apart from the rest of the lake. The federal agency said it would continue to monitor water quality in Clear Lake and determine how to manage things now that zebra mussels are established. It also said it would implement the "one boat, one lake" policy for 2025. But in May, it reinstated the full ban "suddenly, and without consultation from the community," the court filing from Fairness for Clear Lake says. It goes on to say Parks Canada has lost its way, shifting from what used to be a global icon of conservation, community and Canadian identity to an autocratic institution making unilateral decisions. "This is bigger than Clear Lake. This is about restoring belief in the idea that government can serve the people with integrity. It's about safeguarding not just natural spaces, but the democratic values that shape our country," the release says.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Fire ban in Riding Mountain National Park
A fire ban has been issued for Riding Mountain National Park in the wake of a high threat from wildfires in Manitoba. Parks Canada announced the ban Wednesday afternoon. It prohibits visitors from having campfires in the park and prohibits the use of tiki torches, outdoor wood-burning stoves, turkey fryers and barbecues that use charcoal, briquettes, or wood fuel. Items fueled by propane, including stoves, barbecues, lanterns, heaters, and portable firepits can still be used with caution. Parks Canada said the current fire danger in the park is high. The ban will be in place until significant precipitation lowers the fire risk. According to the Manitoba government, 18 active wildfires are burning in the province.
