WINNIPEG—A vast stretch of boreal forest along the Manitoba-Ontario boundary has moved one step closer to international recognition. Former Manitoba premier Greg Selinger says getting the UNESCO designation for Pimachiowin Aki forest will help tourism and make it easier to protect the boreal forest from over-development. The final decision will be made at a UNESCO world heritage committee meeting in July in Turkey. Canada’s effort to have Pimachiowin Aki — an Ojibwa phrase that translates as “the land that gives life” — is being recommended for designation as a UNESCO world heritage site. The decade-long, multimillion-dollar effort was dealt a setback in 2013, when two UNESCO advisory bodies said it was unclear whether the area is unique.

Source: thestar May 27, 2016 15:07 UTC