"As is often the case with the Manitoba government, the construction on site is so far along as to render the public review under the Environment Act meaningless. Even without approval of this mine, the impact of this exploration will be visible in the forest for the next half century," Reder said.

The project is situated near the edge of Reed Lake, in a crucial travel corridor for endangered woodland caribou. The surrounding forest has been protected from logging for decades in an effort to preserve caribou.

In Tomorrow Now, Manitoba's recently released "green strategy," the province states that it is "reviewing mining in parks with the goal of developing a sustainable 'mining in parks' strategy."

"Twenty years ago Manitoba stopped new mines in parks. Why are we going backwards?" asked Manitoba Wildlands Director Gaile Whelan Enns.

"This mine is a slap in the face of all Manitobans who, like me, value protecting wilderness," said Eric Reder, Manitoba Campaign Director with the Wilderness Committee.