Manitoba’s lodges and outfitters are urging residents to pay closer attention to a proposed protected area in the Seal River Watershed, warning the plan could shape how future conservation areas are developed across the province.
Melanie MacCarthy, president of the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association, said the proposed Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area in northern Manitoba should not be viewed as a remote issue affecting only the far north.
“The proposed Seal River IPCA is the first of nine proposed for Manitoba and is likely to set the precedent for the other proposed IPCAs,” MacCarthy said. “It seems easy for folks to sit back and feel comfortable because the Seal River watershed is far away. But the future IPCAs are proposed throughout central and southern Manitoba and may have implications to the future of all outdoor activities and land access.”
The Seal River Watershed covers nearly 50,000 square kilometres of largely undeveloped land and water in northern Manitoba. The area is home to wildlife habitat, established lodges and outcamps, and is considered an important region for hunting, angling and outdoor tourism.
A proposal currently under public consultation would designate the watershed as an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area. The plan includes a “mosaic model” that could involve the creation of a national park, a new provincial park and changes to the boundaries of three existing provincial parks.
The Seal River Watershed Alliance was formed in 2019 by four First Nations to advance protection of the area. A feasibility study involving the alliance and the governments of Manitoba and Canada began in early 2024 and concluded in early 2025 that an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area in the watershed was feasible.
MacCarthy said the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association supports meaningful conservation and long-term protection of the watershed, but says major questions remain about governance, access, boundaries and the future of existing tourism businesses.
“It is critical that Manitobans view this proposal as if it is their favourite public access point, as it may be exactly that in coming years,” she said.
Among the association’s concerns is the proposed management structure for the area. The plan calls for a joint management board involving Indigenous, federal and provincial governments.
MacCarthy said more clarity is needed on the board’s composition, authority and dispute-resolution process, particularly when it comes to licensing, allocations, season dates and enforcement.
“These pieces are currently managed by provincial elected officials and should remain that way,” she said.
The association is also raising concerns about the potential creation of a national park within the watershed. The MLOA says that could transfer about 18,500 square kilometres of provincial Crown land to the federal government and give Canada a role in management decisions across the broader area.
MacCarthy said the group is concerned about a proposed 10-year phase-out of outfitting and licensed hunting under the Canada National Parks Act. She said licensed hunters directly fund conservation through their activities, and the loss of those opportunities could have financial and social consequences.
“Has the province considered the financial implications to the loss of licensed hunting in the proposed national park and sunset area of the national park?” she said. “Has the province considered the implications to conservation and the potential for division this may cause?”
MacCarthy said some operators who could be directly affected by the proposal are only now learning about it. She said governments have stated they have been working closely with lodges and outfitters, but the association has heard from operators who say they have not been contacted.
She pointed to one Manitoba-resident-only caribou camp that she said is located within the proposed national park area and is sold out until 2029. If the proposal moves ahead with the current boundaries and sunset period, MacCarthy said that operator could lose between $250,000 and $300,000 annually, along with related losses for businesses that provide fuel, goods, lodging and flights.
“MLOA is a voluntary membership association, so the province should never function on the assumption that all operators will be aware of looming issues on the landscape,” she said.
The association is also asking what long-term guarantees will exist for operators with generational businesses, future resale plans and corresponding licences.
MacCarthy said more detail is also needed on proposed provincial park sub-designations, including wilderness, backcountry, access and Indigenous heritage areas. She said it remains unclear whether those designations could lead to areas with limited or no public access.
“Will there be multiple areas with limited to no access that ultimately breaks the provincial park into a mosaic of off-limit areas?” she said.
The MLOA has also raised questions about boundary accuracy, particularly where proposed boundaries are close to existing outcamps and allocated operating areas. The association says more clarity is needed on the scientific data used to determine the watershed boundaries.
MacCarthy said the alliance and federal and provincial governments have been working on the proposal for about a year, while the public consultation period gives industry and residents 45 days to review and respond.
“We get 45 days to try alerting and educating industry and the public about a proposal that has the capacity to change the future of land access, hunting and outdoor tourism for generations to come,” she said. “How is that reasonable?”
The Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association is encouraging members, stakeholders and the public to review the proposal and submit feedback through EngageMB before the June 2 deadline.
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on May 06, 2026 at 13:31
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