Interlake flood channel project would disrupt Indigenous communities, federal minister says

A massive flood protection infrastructure project in Manitoba's Interlake region will likely harm the way of life of Indigenous communities in the area, according to a decision by Canada's environment minister.

After reviewing the final findings of a federal environmental assessment report published last week, Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeault said the province's Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin outlet project may lead to "significant adverse environmental effects" for about 30 Indigenous communities, potentially costing them some of their treaty rights.

The project would see the construction of two channels — each about 24 kilometres long — that would drain high water from Lake Manitoba through Lake St. Martin and into Lake Winnipeg. It was designed to reduce flooding in the region, in the aftermath of two devastating floods in 2011 and 2014.

The 400-plus-page report by the federal Impact Assessment Agency found that most of the project's effects on the environment — including its potential impacts on surface and groundwater quality, and the land — would be appropriately addressed, and that its construction would not cause significant harm overall on wildlife.

But the agency added that even with mitigation measures and followup programs, the project would still have a significant adverse impact on Indigenous people's use of land and resources for traditional purposes. 

Among other things, the report said the channels' construction and operation may result in permanent changes to fish habitat, which would be unavoidable and can't be entirely mitigated. Those changes mean Indigenous fishers would need to travel longer distances, the report said.

The project would also lead to the permanent loss of important trails used by the communities, even after construction is done, including shoreline access to rivers and lakes, and  snowmobile routes used to access fishing, hunting and gathering, according to the report.

"Such changes would accelerate the loss of inter-generational teaching of language or traditional practices through changes to the way in which Indigenous groups can practise their rights, which may result in the alienation from their lands and waters and a loss of identity," it said.

The project plans include adjusting the surrounding highway infrastructure and building three bridges.

The agency said while there are enough crossing locations planned for the Lake Manitoba outlet channel, the province has only committed to building a single crossing at Lake St. Martin, which would make it hard for Indigenous groups to access either side of the channel.

Access to culturally significant sites would also be impacted, and some areas may be lost, the agency said. Multiple First Nations communities raised concerns regarding a complex settlement site that's about 3,000 years old, the report said.

The province says the project's construction would result in the site's removal, but that it would salvage and remove artifacts from the site.

However, several communities indicated during consultation the site is irreplaceable, and they won't accept excavating it as a form of mitigation, according to the report.

Past actions not addressed, communities say

The temporary and permanent loss of some wetland would also affect the abundance of species that are culturally important to local communities, the report said. Though the government plans to offset this, the agency said the effectiveness of the proposed plans when it comes to species of cultural importance is yet to be seen.

Other community concerns noted in the report include worries about lack of Indigenous consultation in the process, and that the project failed to account for the effects of historical flooding in the region.

Some argued it failed to address the existing water control systems that result in increased flooding in the region — particularly the Portage Diversion, which diverts water from the Assiniboine River into Lake Manitoba. 

"The agency acknowledges Indigenous groups' views that residual impacts from the project in this context would be severe and unacceptable, as their thresholds for change have already been exceeded," the report said.

"Several Indigenous groups both upstream and downstream of the project have noted that effects from past provincial actions have still not been addressed."

In 2022, a provincial court judge ruled that the province's then Progressive Conservative government failed in its duty to consult First Nations near Lake St. Martin on the plan to build the two flood channels.

Province listening: minister

The Interlake Reserves Tribal Council — which represents seven communities in the region — said in a Wednesday news release it hopes the federal decision leads to the project being reviewed.

Lisa Naylor, the now NDP provincial government's infrastructure minister, said the report's findings reflect concerns raised by First Nations communities to the government in the past.

"Unlike the previous government, who stalled on this project and did not sufficiently consult with the First Nation communities directly affected by this project, our government is listening," the statement said.

The federal environment minister said he will now refer the matter to the governor in council, who will determine whether the environmental effects likely caused by the project are justified.

A final decision on the project "will be informed by available and relevant scientific information and Indigenous knowledge" provided in the environmental assessment of the project, Guilbeault's decision said. It did not offer a timeline for that decision.

As of 2022, the cost of the project was pegged at around $600 million. The government estimates it would take between three and four years to complete.