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UNESCO World Heritage Site DesignationThe campaign to designate a portion of the east side of Lake Winnipeg as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Designation Site is being spearheaded by the Pimachiowin Aki Corporation. The Pimachiowin Aki Corporation is a non-profit corporation, led by First Nation communities made up by Poplar River, Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi, and Pikangikum (Ontario) First Nations and the Governments of Manitoba and Ontario, whose goal is to achieve international recognition for the lands that straddle the Manitoba/Ontario border. Currently, the organization is undertaking extensive community consultations, research, mapping, and comprehensive community-based and land-use planning, which are required to complete the nomination which will be submitted to UNESCO. The nomination process will take three to five years to complete and will produce important outcomes including community-based land-use plans, a network of linked protected areas and an innovative management system that combines western and indigenous knowledge. The UNESCO World Heritage List was established through an international effort to identify and protect sites of universally outstanding value in order to ensure their survival for the benefit of future generations and humanity. If successful, this site would be one of only a handful of sites on the world heritage list that are recognized for both outstanding cultural and natural heritage values. The proposed area under discussion for designation is approximately 40,000 square kilometers and includes the traditional territories of the Poplar River, Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi, and Pikangikum First Nations and Atikaki Provincial Park in Manitoba and Woodland Caribou Provincial Park in Ontario. The site has exceptional ecological value with extensive undisturbed forests, lakes and wetlands that reflect unique geological processes and represents critical habitat for several threatened or endangered species including woodland caribou, bald eagles, and wolverines. The site also represents an outstanding example of traditional Aboriginal life based on a close and enduring relationship to the land. Archeological evidence in the area attests to over 5,000 years of habitation by the Anishinabe people. ESRA is committed to ensuring that construction of an all-season road on the east side of Lake Winnipeg is compatible with the proposed UNESCO World Heritage Designation. As a result, construction of the road will be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with the needs of local residents, traditional land uses and sustainable development principles. Link to UNESCO World Heritage Centre whc.unesco.org Link to Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Project www.pimachiowinaki.org |
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