MAN FINED $8,600 FOR UNAUTHORIZED ALTERATION OF SHORELINE AT WAKAW LAKE

A Saskatoon man has been fined $8,600 in Wakaw provincial court for the unauthorized alteration of the shoreline at Wakaw Lake.

Brian Slobodian was convicted under The Environmental Management and Protection Act for adding materials to the bank and bed of a lake without a valid permit, and for failing to comply with an Environmental Protection Order to clean up the altered site.

The charges were laid as a result of a Turn In Poachers (TIP) call to the Ministry of Environment in June 2008. An investigation found that Slobodian had added sand below the high water mark and on public reserve land at Osze Beach on the north shore of Wakaw Lake. The work was done without the proper environmental authorization and permits.

Property owners who are conducting work in and around water should contact a Ministry of Environment office to get clarification on permitting requirements. A conviction for modifying a creek or shoreline without the proper permits carries a maximum fine of $1 million.

"Ministry staff can help ensure property owners' plans meet environmental regulations and issue the provincial permits required to carry out the work," Ministry of Environment Compliance and Field Services Executive Director Kevin Callele said. "Following the rules and getting the proper permits protects the environment and the property owner."

Anyone who is aware of or who suspects environmental, fisheries or wildlife violations is encouraged to report them to any Ministry of Environment office or to call the province's toll-free TIP line at 1-800-667-7561 or #5555 for SaskTel cell phone subscribers. Callers may be eligible for cash rewards of up to $2,000 through the SASKTIP Reward Program.

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For more information, contact:

Gary Provencher
Environment
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-933-7928
Cell: 306-270-3860