Manitoba Protected Areas Consultation

Preserving Manitoba's Diverse Landscape

In 1990, Manitoba became the first province in Canada to commit to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada Endangered Spaces Campaign. The goal of the campaign was to establish a network of protected areas that represented all of Manitoba's natural regions and to increase the amount of land that was legally protected. Protected areas in Manitoba may include national parks, provincial parks, park reserves, wildlife areas, ecological reserves and so on. Given that mining exploration and development is prohibited on protected lands, it's understandable that members of Canada's mining industry, Inco among them, were eager to be represented during the review of areas being considered for protected status. Says Bill Napier, Vice-President, Environment and Health at Inco, “We are one of the largest mining companies in Manitoba and contribute significantly to the economy of the province. For both business and social reasons, we wanted to make sure our voice was heard.”

Mining Sector Protected Areas Consultation

The need led to the creation of the Mining Sector Protected Areas Consultation in 1997, an initiative that brought together the mining industry, government and environmental organizations. Currently, World Wildlife Fund Canada, the Canadian Nature Federation and The Nature Conservancy of Canada participate in the consultation technical sessions. A WWF project provides coordination for the consultation. Inco, as well as other companies, helped fund the project.

“The first part of the process involved learning to understand each other's terminology and appreciate each other's perspective,” says Napier. “For instance, we in the mining industry learned about enduring features analysis, the tool used to identify areas of ecological significance, while the environmental participants gained an appreciation of the scope of exploration in relatively large landholdings to find a relatively small ore deposit. We then worked together to establish a technical method to track potential protected areas in an open, transparent and accountable system.”

It was not always an easy journey. “Mining is a competitive business and, traditionally, individual companies undertaking exploration programs like to keep their cards close to the chest,” notes Napier. “However, during these consultations, we learned to share information and work together.”

The miners also had to be willing to see and appreciate the world through the eyes of others. “And to their credit, they do,” says Gaile Whelan-Enns, Manitoba Director for the Canadian Nature Federation and former WWF Canada Endangered Spaces Campaign coordinator. “I give particular credit to the folks from Inco. They worked hard to make sure that the discussions never became polarized. They helped to lead the process and showed that they were willing to listen, deal with frustration and take risks.”

By 2000, Manitoba had moved from 0.5 per cent of the province in protected areas to over 8 per cent, leading all jurisdictions in the proportion of lands protected during the 1990s.

Currently, an additional 3.6 million hectares - six per cent of land in Manitoba - is supported for protection by the mining industry. Although no mining claims were cancelled as a result of the process, some mining companies voluntarily surrendered claims. “At the end of the day, I believe all parties involved leave the table feeling that we have negotiated a fair plan,” says Napier. “There is no one winner. Rather, by working in partnership and by achieving outcomes everybody could live with, we all win.”

The Mining Sector Protected Areas Consultation remains a source of inspiration. “Work on establishment of new protected areas is ongoing in Manitoba,” says Whelan-Enns. “The technical standards and reviews in the mining sector consultation provide a model by which we are moving forward to finish building the province's network of protected areas.”

For a complete presentation on the Manitoba Protected Areas Consultation, click here.