George Green
Vice President, Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage Directorate
Parks Canada Agency
30 Victoria Street, 3rd floor, Room 323 (PC-03-J)
Gatineau, Québec J8X 0B3

Dear Mr. Green,
Re:

Important update regarding Canada’s nomination of Pimachiowin Aki

I am writing to you in your capacity as the Head of the Canadian Delegation to the World
Heritage Committee. Manitoba has reviewed the reports of the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites
(ICMOS). Manitoba’s position is to support the designation of Pimachiowin Aki with the
potential for corridors to allow for linear developments, such as the all-weather road currently
under construction on the east-side of Lake Winnipeg and hydro-electrical transmission lines.
I would advise you that the Province has recently committed to undertake a review of the
Bipole III Transmission Line project, including different routing options. In light of this review,
the statement that “The past threat from the potential development of a big hydro power corridor
has been averted as the corridor has definitely been re-routed to the western side of Lake
Winnipeg” in the IUCN evaluation report, is inaccurate. The BiPole III corridor location could
change, and there may be future transmission lines as hydro-electric generation capacity
expands.
Please convey this important correction to the World Heritage Centre, along with an
assurance that new information will be shared as it becomes available. I appreciate your attention
to this matter of record.
Sincerely,

Jim Hrichishen
Deputy Minister
cc.

The Honourable Ron Schuler
The Honourable Catherine Cox