Guest post: The difference 50 years can make

Guest post by Val Paape

On an early June weekend in 1971, I made my first trip to Hecla Island. On the weekend just prior to the summer Solstice in June of 2021, 50 years later, my partner, Amanda, and I made a trip to our cottage at Grindstone in Grindstone/Hecla Island Provincial Park on Lake Winnipeg. 

Fifty years is a long time when looked at from a human lifetime perspective. But from a biological and geological timeframe, it is nothing. At least that is the way it used to be. On that first trip to Hecla Island in 1971, upon rounding the curve after the intersection of Highway 8 and the Pine Dock Road, huge numbers of birds could be seen in the ditches and as we approached and drove along the marshland leading up to the lake shore where the causeway to Hecla now exists, the diversity of bird life increased. A few that I remember: large numbers of Meadow Larks and Killdeer along the roadside and in the fields; Red-Winged Blackbirds, Yellow Headed Blackbirds and Mourning Doves were prominent on the hydro wires; Red-tailed Hawks, Sparrow Hawks and Broadwinged Hawks were on the tops of hydro poles and seen soaring above. On the banks of the large, water filled ditches at the sides of the highway, Great Blue Herons, Bitterns, Willets, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Marbled Godwits and, if one was lucky an American Avocet could be seen at the height of migration. Many other shorebirds were in the ditches along with Mallards and various species of ducks. By the time we reached the ferry to Hecla Island, we thought we were in paradise. And, in a way, we were. 

Yes, I said “ferry to Hecla Island”. Those were the days before the causeway from the mainland to Hecla was built. In between Hecla and the mainland, Lake Winnipeg gives way to a large marshland known as Grassy Narrows. As I remember, there was debate about whether to build a bridge or a causeway and the causeway won because it was cheaper. But, getting back to the ferry. It was a quaint affair and if I remember correctly, it only held about four cars plus the passengers. It was a short ride and it was, again if I remember correctly, free. 

The causeway certainly enables a more efficient and faster way to get from the mainland to Hecla. But, by cutting off some of the free movement of water from Lake Winnipeg into and out of the marsh, there was a good chance that Grassy Narrows marsh would decline. It is no exaggeration to say that Grassy Narrows is one of the most important marshes and “staging areas” for migrating birds along the Mississippi Flyway—the biggest flyway for migrating birds in North America. Luckily Ducks Unlimited (DU) stepped in and partnered with the Manitoba Government to build mechanisms for the water levels in the marsh to go up and down in a manner similar to its natural cycles. DU got involved because Manitoba had been messing with fluctuating water levels because of its hydroelectric power system. Something had to be done to protect migratory bird habitat. And, it has worked. 

Fast forward 50 years. On our weekend trip to Grindstone the other day there were very few birds to see. As we approached the causeway, I thought we would see many Redwings and I always hold out hope that we might see a Yellowheaded blackbird. Over the entire trip—up and back—we saw hardly any birds at all. A few Redwings, one Flicker and one Red Tailed Hawk. No Meadowlarks, no Killdeer, maybe a Mourning Dove. 

What have we humans done? We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis because of habitat loss and climate change. And, it is NOT hard to see. It is happening before our very eyes. So far, the man-made means of regulating water levels of Lake Winnipeg and its marshes have worked and conserved biodiversity. But they cannot work against climate change. And they cannot work for migratory birds whose southern habitat is also degraded or destroyed. This is happening NOW and we can actually see it happening. There is no excuse for denial or inaction, because in 50 more years, there might not be much left to save.

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Land acknowledgement: We respectfully recognize that we live on the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

Photo credit: "Yellow Headed Blackbird" by Desert Vu is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0