A rally in protest of the Devils Lake outlet was held on Sunday, July 24^th, from 12:00 - 4:00 on the steps of the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg.

Local concerned citizens Claire Sevenhuysen and Raena Ducharme organized the event with the support of Friends of the Earth and several other local volunteers. Various local musicians provided entertainment throughout the day.  Guest speakers at the event included:

Beatrice Olivastri, CEO, Friends of the Earth

Steve Ashton, Provincial Minister, Water Stewardship

Gary Raven, Aboriginal Elder, Hollow Water First Nations

Joy Smith, Conservative MP, Kildonan – St. Paul

Peter Bjornson, Provincial Minister, Education, Citizenship & Youth

Chris Henderson, Grand Chief, Manitoba Southern Chiefs

In the absence of Hon. Reg Alcock, Member of Parliament, Winnipeg South, Manitoba and Mr. Kevin Chudd, Mayor of Gimili statements were read on their behalf. 

The widely covered media event raised funds and awareness of the issue and several hundred signatures were obtained on a petition drafted by Friends of the Earth calling upon the federal government to take all necessary measures, including legal action to ensure the Devils Lake diversion project be referred to the International Joint Commission - IJC is an independent bi-national organization whose purpose is to help prevent and resolve disputes relating to the use and quality of boundary waters.

Friends of the Earth Canada would like to thank the following Sponsors for their support: