THE BRANDON SUN • Lake Life • SPRING 2026
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Kayakers paddle through the cool water of Clear Lake while a boat passes behind them in Riding Mountain National Park. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
the park has improved in the past year since the appoint- ment of Sheldon as the new superintendent. “I think there’s a really good opportunity to move for- ward in a more positive fashion, versus the fortress that was created with the last administration.” Parks Canada said it plans to create a proposed fee schedule for boat launches and will host public consulta- tion this summer. The Martese tour boat will continue to operate during the two days each week when motorboats are banned, the Parks Canada bulletin said. Kelsey Connor, owner and operator of the Martese, told the Sun that the news is positive after a challenging two years. “We welcome Parks Canada’s recent announcement,” Connor said in an email. “While much work lies ahead, we look forward to continuing our services and contributing to the visitor experience and enjoyment of Clear Lake.” Connor added that the company acknowledges its ongoing commitment and responsibility to reconcilia- tion and environmental stewardship in Riding Mountain National Park. Boquist said Fairness for Clear Lake is currently working to form “a collective agreement” so that the Clear Lake Cabin Association, the Clear Lake Cottage Owners Asso-
He said that shoreline areas are commonly an impacted area in freshwater lakes, and dusk and dawn are periods of high ecological activity. No-wake zones and no-motorized-boat days provide a buffer for the many stakeholders who said they valued peaceful connections with the lake through activities such as paddling, he added. Under the new management rules, non-motorized wa- tercraft must be committed this year to either Clear Lake or to other waterbodies in Riding Mountain National Park through the park’s permit program. Complete program details were being finalized at the time of publication in April, Parks Canada said. Riding Mountain MP Dan Mazier told the Sun this spring that he supports the reintroduction of boats as a product of democracy. The advocacy and pushback that arose in response to the 2025 boat ban “absolutely” con- tributed to this year’s policy change, he said. “They listened to the community. I’ve been asking for this, and the community has been asking for this,” he said. “We’ve got boats back on Clear Lake, with some caveats that need to be discussed further.” While he is happy to hear the news, he said he will con- tinue to watch the policy roll out at the lake to avoid a pos- sible “slippery slope” of increased boating bans over time. “I’m going to be watching that, and I think the community
ciation and the Wasagaming Chamber of Commerce will be represented in future decisions at the park. “How do we put some- thing in place that brings accountability, so that we never have to form Fairness for Clear Lake again?” he said.
is going to be watching that, to make sure that the park, all of a sudden, doesn’t decide: ‘We’re go- ing to make it three days, or make it more hours,’ or anything like that.” Mazier added that the decision is “proof in the pudding” that leadership at
“People care about Riding Mountain National Park so deeply, and care about Clear Lake so deeply in their own unique ways.”
Riding Mountain National Park superintendent Tom Sheldon
“How do we make sure we don’t wind up back in the same situation?”
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