Released on September 22, 2009
A Saskatoon company has been fined $14,000 in Wakaw provincial court for the unauthorized alteration of the shoreline at Wakaw Lake. The company also paid $1,300 in restitution for site remediation.
Urban Oasis Homes Inc. was convicted of one count under The Environmental Management and Protection Act for altering the shoreline at Nelson Beach without a valid permit. The company has complied with an Environmental Protection Order to clean up the altered site.
The charges were laid as the result of a call to the Ministry of Environment in August 2008. An investigation found that Urban Oasis Homes Inc. had contracted an excavating company to clear vegetation, trees and soil materials from the bed, bank and boundary of Wakaw Lake to build a beach. The work was done without the proper environmental authorization and permits.
"It is important that property owners around lakes find a way to carry out development without damaging our environment," Ministry of Environment's Compliance and Field Services Executive Director Kevin Callele said. "If a person is conducting work in and around water, the best thing for them to do is to contact their nearest Ministry of Environment office to discuss their development plans and the potential impact on the environment."
Anyone who is aware of or suspects environmental, fisheries or wildlife violations is encouraged to report them to the nearest Ministry of Environment office or to call the province's toll-free Turn In Poachers (TIP) line at 1-800-667-7561 (#5555 for SaskTel phone subscribers). Callers may be eligible for cash rewards through the SASKTIP Inc. Reward Program.
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For more information, contact:
Gary Provencher
Environment
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-933-7928