"Restoring the health of Lake Winnipeg, its contributing watershed, and its downstream environment is a collective responsibility... I am very pleased to join with the Government of Canada on this memorandum of understanding," stated Manitoba Water Stewardship Minister Christine Melnick at a ceremony signing event held at The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba, September 13, 2010.

"Today is a great step forward in taking concrete action to help clean up Lake Winnipeg," added Vic Toews, Canada's Minister of Public Safety and Manitoba's Senior Member of Parliament from Provencher.

Toews also announced $875,000 for 20 projects to find ways to help clean up the lake. The Canadian government has invested $17.7 million through the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative for scientific research, monitoring programs, governance initiatives, and support for community-based stewardship projects aimed at cleaning up the lake.

"What they've only done is approve small projects that are worthwhile, but really only merely tinkering," explained Terry Duguid, federal Liberal Candidate for the Manitoba riding of Winnipeg South and co-author of a 2005 report Restoring the Health of Lake Winnipeg, The 2005 report co-authored by Duguid suggested a 5-year Federal/Provincial agreement and double the funding commitments, with $40 million in total coming 2/3 from Canada and 1/3 from Manitoba.

The MOU signed by the federal and provincial governments appears not to be available to the public. Neither government has posted it on their web sites.