Southern Chiefs’ Organization files Charter challenge against Manitoba Hydro, province

The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is taking Manitoba Hydro and the provincial government to court, launching a Charter challenge to give Lake Winnipeg, known traditionally as Weeniibiikiisagaygun, the legal rights and protections of a living entity. 

“They haven’t done an environmental assessment in 50 years,” said SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “It will create sort of a whole new discourse around law in Canada and that will help with how governance around the lake will be structured going forward.”

SCO filed a statement of claim detailing how Manitoba Hydro and the province have artificially controlled water levels and outflow of the Lake for decades, causing enormous and potentially irreparable harm to wetlands, wildlife, and First Nations’ right to fish.

“We forgot how to look back at those original instructions gifted to us from Gitche Manitou, which is never take without giving something in return, so we need to bring back the spiritual the ceremonial perspective of how we lived in harmony with Lake Winnipeg,” said Taylor Galvin, an environmental scientist.

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Elders and knowledge keepers are demanding change, including a full environmental review of the lake and more involvement of First Nations in future decision-making. SCO claims Hydro makes $3 billion annually from the lake through controlling water levels, but it hasn’t conducted a proper environmental assessment in the past 50 years.

“We need to create a different sort of environmental assessment process and just the governing of the lake right now, the licensing, all of that needs to be modernized,” said Grand Chief Daniels.

If Lake Winnipeg is granted the rights of a living entity, it would be the second time rights have been given to a waterway, the first being Magpie River in Quebec.

CityNews reached out to the Province and Manitoba Hydro, they responded saying it’s inappropriate to discuss a matter that is before the courts.