Clear Lake boat ban fight fundraiser over $110K

A Clear Lake coalition has fundraised more than $110,000 to fight boat bans announced this year by Parks Canada.

The Fairness for Clear Lake coalition, received 164 donations on its online fundraiser after the first 10 weeks. A spokesperson told the Sun that the results are encouraging and show people care deeply about using Clear Lake and preserving traditions at the park.

“Thank you to everyone who has stood with us — your support is the heart of this movement, and your voices are driving real change,” the coalition wrote in an email to the Sun. “We are profoundly grateful for the extraordinary support.”

The fundraiser has received support from individuals and businesses such as Elkhorn Resort, which contributed $7,500. Individual donations hovered around $200 each. The group is fundraising to challenge Parks Canada’s ban of motorized watercraft through advocacy and legal channels.

Money will only be used for legal action, advocacy, and communications efforts, the coalition has stated.

Funds are being held in trust on behalf of Wasagaming Chamber of Commerce, the Clear Lake Cottage Owners’ Association, the Clear Lake Cabin Owners’ Association and the Clear Lake Country Destination Enrichment Organization.

The fundraiser was started to oppose Parks Canada’s May announcement that banned motorized boats from the lake for the year. Fairness for Clear Lake was formed by members of the community who have been impacted, including businesses and cottage owners.

The coalition has held virtual town halls, conducted interviews with media, and most recently in late June, filed an application for judicial review of the boat ban. As of July 2, there were no updates on that legal move, a spokesperson told the Sun.

The goal is to improve the community’s relationship with Parks Canada in the long haul, the spokesperson said. A letter written by the coaltion this year, addressed to Riding Mountain National Park field unit superintendent Leanne Cooper, said that there has been a lack of meaningful dialogue.

“Despite our best efforts, we have reached a point where we feel we have no choice but to organize more formally and collectively in order to be heard,” the letter wrote. “This legal action is not our preferred approach — it is a measure of last resort.”

The coalition said it aims to ensure that engagement, collaboration and transparency are upheld for decisions that impact the public in the future. One community member, tour boat operator Kelsey Connor, held the same opinion as he said he was surprised by the ban in May after being assured for weeks that business would continue as usual.

Parks Canada has stated that consultations did take place with stakeholders before the decision was made, but did not specify the list of stakeholders that included.

“As this matter is now before the courts, Parks Canada is unable to comment,” a spokesperson told the Sun in July.

The motorized boat ban was introduced due to concerns of zebra mussels in Clear Lake. Parks Canada told the Sun earlier this year that there is a lack of science that explains how motorized boats might increase the spread of mussels, and it has decided to research this effect while banning boats.

Parks Canada found hundreds of live juvenile zebra mussels in the fall of 2024, attached to docks. The agency later said it was not feasible to eradicate zebra mussels from Clear Lake, and began to look at containment measures.

Being upstream of various bodies of water, the state of zebra mussels in Clear Lake presents a threat to many other areas, such as the Assiniboine River and Lake Wahtopanah at Rivers Provincial Park. Dead larvae were found in the Assiniboine in winter 2024, however no further evidence had been found in the river as of June.

» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com