Come on in, the water’s fine: Sask. lake shakes off the algae

A year after the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) warned of toxic algae blooms in Little Manitou Lake, officials at the resort village are giving the all-clear.

Village Councillor Bill Mattick says SHA and the Water Security Agency have both tested the water and said it’s free of harmful contaminants.

In July, 2022, an SHA notice posted on the resort village’s Facebook page warned people to avoid swimming or skiing and to keep children and pets away from the water. The village later levels of toxic blue-green algae were 600 times higher than recommended for public recreation.

This year, it’s a different story.

“We don’t have any issues in terms of blue-green algae and E. coli,” said Mattick. “So it’s good for swimming or whatever you want to do.”

He says the water is clear and he’s hearing reports the temperatures are “very nice for this time of year.”

Mattick, who is also on the board of the regional watershed association, says the upcoming Canada Day weekend is the perfect time for people to come explore Manitou for themselves.

He says he ended up in the community for a short job with his wife several decades ago, and they just couldn’t stay away.

“We spent a weekend here and enjoyed ourselves so much we started coming back,” said Mattick.

“We got the Manitou bounce. It’s a combination of the air, the atmosphere, the lake, and the people.”