MP Terry Duguid to lead Lake Winnipeg basin cleanup efforts

Efforts to help clean Lake Winnipeg are about to receive an injection of cash, and a Winnipeg MP will play a crucial role in tackling problems on the ground, the federal government says.

Environment MinisterCatherine McKenna announced Tuesday that Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguidwill"help lead community collaboration efforts to address water quality issues in Lake Winnipeg."

The federal government announced earlier this year that $25.7 million will flow through the Lake Winnipeg Basin Program, which will tackle toxic and nuisance algae in the lake.

As part of that program, Duguid will "play an active role in the public engagement process with stakeholders, Indigenous Peoples and the scientific community," McKenna said.

About 20 Indigenous communities are on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, which covers25,000 square kilometresand is Canada's sixth largest freshwater lake.

"Lake Winnipeg, Canada's other great lake, is an important resource for Manitoba's freshwater fishery, tourism and energy sectors," Duguid said.

"It is by harnessing the knowledge and expertise of all those connected to the basin that we will be able to restore the health of Lake Winnipeg, and advance water management efforts throughout Western Canada."

The funding is part of a $70.5-million initiative to help protect freshwater lakes across the country, McKenna said.