Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 7, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba Noon – 5:00 pm, Riverview Health Centre Front Yard Register before Friday, August 16 Wednesday, August 21, 2024 (No Experience Needed!) Join in on the Riverview Health Centre Foundation’s Bocce Ball Tournament! Presented by Birchwood Automotive Group For more information visit: Bocce Ball Tournament | Riverview Health Centre Foundation (rhcf.mb.ca) or call 204-478-6271 Ready to have a ball? WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2024WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ● A5 NEWS I PROVINCE Cyclists saddle up in aid of cleaner Lake Winnipeg M ANITOBANS are going to great lengths, literally, to help save the province’s largest lake from harmful algae blooms. Sixty-six cyclists will pedal more than 130 kilometres to Victoria Beach from Winnipeg Friday in support of the Lake Winnipeg Foundation. Last year’s ride raised at least $160,000 to support the foundation’s work to lobby government to implement rescue measures for a lake plagued by nutrient overload. Agricultural runoff and treated and untreated sewage that enter the lake via streams and rivers, such as the Red River, have caused overwhelming algae blooms that choke the lake’s oxygen supply for underwater life. In recent years, the foundation has focused its energy on addressing high levels of phosphorus running into the lake from an enormous watershed that spans from Alberta, across some northern U.S. states, and next door in Ontario. “We know that phosphorus is what causes the harmful algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg,” foundation board chair and environmental engineer Kathryn Dompierre said. Water monitoring data has shown, Dompierre said, that Winnipeg’s north end sewage treatment plant is “the sin- gle largest source of phosphorus” for the lake. “Year after year, that treatment plant has been letting out water that has phosphorus levels that are above the regulated limit by the provincial gov- ernment,” Dompierre said. Discharge levels weren’t to exceed 1 mg/litre, but the City of Winnipeg has been non-compliant for a 15-year per- iod, with levels ranging from 2.9 mg/l to 4.3 mg/l between 2006 and 2021, the foundation said. Owing to mechanical and infra- structure failures, millions of litres of raw sewage flowed into the Red River earlier this year and will also contrib- ute to the problem. Diluted sewage also regularly spills into the river during heavy rainfall and snow melt events which flood sin- gle pipes that carry precipitation and wastewater. Last year, more than five billion litres of diluted sewage entered local rivers from Winnipeg’s sewer overflows. The north end treatment plant is undergoing a phased, multibillion-dol- lar upgrade to increase treatment capacity and reduce algae-promoting nitrogen and phosphorus outflows. The city is challenged to pay for upgrades to the treatment plant, and the provincial government recently denied the city’s request to extend the completion dead- line to 2032, from 2030. “The lake is in serious trouble. We are seeing algal blooms, toxic algal blooms. There’s no more time to wait. The time is now. Lake Winnipeg, and all of our waterways in Manitoba, are a priority for this government,” Manitoba En- vironment Minister Tracy Schmidt said last month. Meanwhile, the city introduced a chemical treatment in June it says will reduce the amount of phosphorus com- ing from the wastewater plant by up to 38 per cent. Dimple Roy, water management dir- ector of the International Institute for Sustainable Development said the or- ganization had helped advocate for the chemical treatment. “We won’t see results overnight, but the fact that we’ve been able to tackle a massive problem through a small solu- tion is worth celebrating,” Roy said. Dompierre called the implementation a “huge win” following years of advo- cacy since 2019. Dollars raised from the Bike to the Beach event, she said, are directly re- sponsible for that. Bike event chair Scott McDonald an- ticipates the challenging four- to five- hour bike up to Victoria Beach will raise well over the $100,000 target. He’s responsible for starting the event five years ago, when around 30 cyclists raised $50,000 for the founda- tion. Since then, the number of partici- pants, along with the money raised each year, has increased. McDonald’s children are now grow- ing up on the lake, much like he did when his parents, both heavily involved with the foundation, began taking him up to Victoria Beach almost 50 years ago. “It’s a place where families of mul- tiple generations and extended family bond — it’s the central point of it all,” he said. There’s algae issues on the lake this summer, like any other, McDonald said, but so far no massive blooms have washed ashore. “We’d like the lake to be as healthy as the community,” he said. To get there, Roy said upstream solu- tions are critical for Lake Winnipeg’s future. The institute is experimenting with “floating wetlands” that soak up phos- phorus, and water-retention systems on agricultural land to pace the flow of water that enters the watershed. “The solution lies in the watershed; that’s where the phosphorus is coming from,” she said. Roy finds optimism in the growing awareness of the lake’s declining water quality, along with other issues such as the devastation caused by zebra mus- sels. She said leveraging the attention will help ensure there’s “cleaner, better water for generations to come.” Dompierre said the foundation is next targeting runoff into the water- shed from agricultural fertilizers and animal waste. “It’s a huge watershed, the reason why we have such high phosphorus (levels) and so many algae blooms is be- cause Lake Winnipeg is in a very agri- cultural area,” Dompierre explained. Along with a strengthened agricul- ture stewardship program, the foun- dation is looking to water samples col- lected by volunteers to target problem areas where farming practices could be improved. — with files from Joyanne Pursaga jordan.snobelen@freepress.mb.ca JORDAN SNOBELEN MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Last year’s fundraising cycle to Victoria Beach helped raise $160,000 to support measures to reduce the nutrient overload that causes algae like this in Lake Winnipeg. Faith, hope and colour in Festival of Chariots procession LED by dancers, hundreds of devotees of Lord Krishna chanted and sang Sunday as they used ropes to pull a large decorated chariot on St. Anne’s Road. The event, called Rath Yatra, or the Festival of Chariots, was sponsored by the Manitoba chap- ter of the International Society for Krishna Con- sciousness. The procession — the first time it has taken place on a city street in Winnipeg and featured such a large chariot — travelled south 1.5 kilo- metres from the Hindu Society of Manitoba be- fore returning there so worshippers could enjoy a vegetarian feast. On the chariot, which was loaned from the Cal- gary ISKCON chapter, were priests and images of Lord Jagannath, also known as Lord Krishna, and his siblings Lord Baladeva and Lady Subhadra. The chariot was adorned with colourful drapes, flowers and ornaments. For Komal Sharma, who helped organize the event, he likened the celebration to Easter for Christians. “It’s a feast of devotion,” she said. “We pull the chariot out of love.” Along with that, it’s a means of public outreach by providing an opportunity for the general pub- lic to witness the procession “and learn about the teachings of Lord Jagannath,” Sharma said, along with promoting “awareness and understanding of the spiritual traditions and beliefs of the de- votees.” It also showcased the “rich cultural heritage of Vedic traditions and practices,” including the music, dance and art associated with the worship of Lord Krishna, she said, noting much smaller chariots were pulled through city parks or around the Hindu Society parking lot before this year. Vishwamvhar Kripa Das is president of ISK- CON Manitoba. For him, the event was an oppor- tunity for devotees to show community spirit and unity, as well as to express their desire for peace and harmony in Canada and around the world. Dancer Ikankshi Prabhakar participated be- cause it was a way to show her devotion to Lord Krishna and to thank him for the blessings she has received. “Dancing is my way to please him,” she said. Payal Pardasani, who was also dancing, said it was a way to show thanks and to “let others know about our culture.” Before the procession, worshippers partici- pated in a service during which musicians led them in chanting Hare Krishna. They also heard from Bhaktimarga Swami of Toronto, also known as the “walking monk” for his pilgrimages across Canada. The Swami, who is visiting various Canadian cities as part of Rath Yatra celebrations, said what people were doing through the festival in Winnipeg showed how humans are “more than just a body” and that many of society’s problems can be solved through increased spirituality. “For many of the issues in Canada, the answers can be found in spirituality,” he said, adding that facet of life is “often ignored.” Devotees also received a message from NDP MLA Diljeet Brar, who was in attendance with NDP MLAs Mike Moyes, David Pankratz and Jennifer Chen. Brar noted how the celebration illustrated “how we are connected to the creator and each other, beyond our differences” and for how it promoted “peace, love and harmony.” Noting that there are many different faith groups in Manitoba, he went on to say that “we are like a garden of different colours… that’s why Canada and Manitoba look so beautiful.” The Festival of Chariots originated 5,000 years ago in the Indian city of Jagannatha Puri. It is held annually in summer months around the world to honour Lord Jagannatha, also known to devotees as the Lord of the Universe. The first Festival of Chariots was held in Winnipeg in 2003. faith@freepress.mb.ca JOHN LONGHURST JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Sunday was the first time the Festival of Chariots led its procession on a Winnipeg street since it started in 2003. FAITH ;