Manitoba News: Lawsuit says Lake Winnipeg should declared a living being [Video]

The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is launching a Charter challenge to have Lake Winnipeg declared a living being, claiming that the province and Manitoba Hydro are damaging the lake with development.

The challenge against both the Manitoba government and Hydro was announced Thursday.

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“When the treaties were signed, and we talked about how for as long as the grass grows, the water flows, and the sun shines, it meant that we need to look after the land in perpetuity,” said SCO Gran Chief Jerry Daniels. “So we have a shared responsibility. Those who have come here, including us, have a shared responsibility that the lake is sustainable forever.”

The SCO is alleging that the province and Manitoba Hydro have artificially controlled the lake’s water levels and outflow for decades, causing potentially irreparable harm. They allege …