Parks Canada to study Clear Lake after boat ban shocks users
Ken Figol is disappointed his motorboat won't make it to Clear Lake this summer.
'This is the only lake I'd use,' the Onanole cabin owner said. 'It's a beautiful lake, the only lake I've ever been on.'
He and many other Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) users were shocked when Parks Canada banned motorized watercraft on the lake for the 2025 season.
'At one point, they sent a bulletin out that said all boats were allowed,' he said. 'And then last minute, being Friday, 9:00, long weekend — no boats.'
Parks Canada says the move aims to slow the spread of aquatic invasive species in Clear Lake. Zebra mussels were detected in the lake in 2023, and despite containment efforts and a 2024 ban on all watercraft, the federal agency determined eradicating them was 'not feasible'.
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In an email to Global News, Parks Canada said it does not have 'comprehensive information about how motorized vehicles affect the spread of zebra mussels.'
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It will also begin a research study this year to understand the 'ecological and socioeconomic impacts of motorized watercraft on Clear Lake'.
All signs pointed to allowing boats back on the water this summer.
In a statement to Global News, Kelsey Connor, who operates the Clear Lake Marina and Martese boat, said his business is 'ruined,' and that he has lost trust in Parks Canada.
'Over time, and very acutely with this recent news, Parks Canada has created deep wounds within the local community's ability to invest financially and emotionally in this wonderful place. This stems less from their recent decision itself than it does from the deceitful way in which they arrived at and announced it,' Connor's statement said.
The Wasagaming Chamber of Commerce and more than a dozen Wasagaming businesses declined to provide comment to Global News about the ban. Some, speaking anecdotally, said it is a contentious issue, with community members divided on the proper course of action and how the decision will impact the area.
Emma Wray grew up going to her grandparents' cabin just outside RMNP, and started a Change.org petition opposing the ban.
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'It's one thing if they had said from the beginning of this year, like, 'No, sorry, we're not allowing boats,' but they continued to lead us on for months telling us that they were going to be allowed,' she said.
Peter Myers started an online petition in support of the ban, despite growing up boating on the lake. He says recent wildfires in Manitoba have him concerned about climate change.
'There are some individual steps we're all going to have to take, and some sacrifices we're going to have make to improve the situation,' he said, 'and I feel like the recreational activities that rely on fossil fuels are probably the obvious example of what might have to go first.'
Non-motorized watercraft, like canoes and kayaks, will be allowed on Clear Lake with a permit from Parks Canada. Another type of permit will be issued for non-motorized watercraft for use in RMNP's other waterbodies; the watercraft cannot be used in both.
The fine for using a motorized watercraft on Clear Lake or disobeying the permitting system is $25,000.
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