Rising pollution sparks fear over future of Lake Winnipeg

Residents living around one of Winnipeg’s treasured lakes are growing increasingly concerned as pollution level rises, prompting urgent questions about how much the lake can sustain its vital ecosystem and natural beauty.

There are thousands of families that live in and around Lake Winnipeg, but perhaps no family has a more intimate relationship with the lake, than the Kristjansons. After-all they have been fishing on it for 136 years, ever since their ancestors emigrated from Iceland in 1885.  

For over a decade, Robert Kristjanson, who joined the fishing tradition in the 50’s, has found himself in a fight to protect the lake.

“…Nobody knows more about it than the sailors and the fisherman, and you cannot get through to people about what we are doing to ourselves with the air and the land and water,” said Kristjanson. “We are 1 and a half million people in Manitoba, that’s all we are.  And we have polluted the water right to the Arctic Ocean.” 

After each passing summer, Kristjanson says he pulls more and more of the toxic blue green algae from his nets, taking a greater toll on the livelihood of his family and many others. 

“When I started there were a 150 whitefish boats fishing the north end, fish going to Chicago and New York, now our boat is on the shore is that something to be proud of,” said Kristjanson.

New research from the University of Manitoba, is hinting that wildfire smoke could be causing further harm, due to the amount of phosphorus fallout ending up in the lake. 

Unlike the phosphorus from industrial farms, researchers fear this phosphorus could serve as an ever-greater fuel for the algae blooms.

“Ash provides more excess phosphorus to the lake and speeds up the generation of algae blooms faster and more profound,” said Dr. Masoud Goharrhoki, researcher at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Goharrhoki, one of the lead researchers on the project, says a lack of research has played a large role in the current state of Lake Winnipeg. Despite being the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world, it’s largely been overlooked. The research team hopes to bring more attention to Lake Winnipeg with their research. 

“In terms of research, and in terms of questions that we don’t have any real answers, its far behind the great lakes,” said Dr. Goharrhoki.

Kristjanson’s son Chris questions just how much longer they have with Lake Winnipeg, before the damage is irreversible. 

“When its gone, we going to miss it,” said Chris. “Its going to be “why didn’t we do something before?” here we are another generation saying why didn’t we do something.”