By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week According to the Government of Alberta, invasive mussels are spreading rapidly across Canada and North America, causing major economic damage. Zebra mussels alone cost up to $500 million annually in the Great Lakes region. In Alberta, a single infestation in Lake McGregor could result in $284 million in yearly damages. \u201cFirst of all, we are mussel-free and we want to keep that designation. So, it was important for us to move quickly on this,\u201d said Grant Hunter, MLA for Taber-Warner and chair of the Provincial Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force. For the Cold Lake area, where boating and recreation are integral to summer life, the new rules are especially significant. A key inspection station has been set up on Highway… <\/p>\n
By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week According to the Government of Alberta, invasive mussels are spreading rapidly across Canada and North America, causing major economic damage. Zebra mussels alone cost up to $500 million annually in the Great Lakes region. In Alberta, a single infestation in Lake McGregor could result in $284 million in yearly damages. \u201cFirst of all, we are mussel-free and we want to keep that designation. So, it was important for us to move quickly on this,\u201d said Grant Hunter, MLA for Taber-Warner and chair of the Provincial Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force. For the Cold Lake area, where boating and recreation are integral to summer life, the new rules are especially significant. A key inspection station has been set up on Highway... <\/p>\n