A vast stretch of boreal forest along the Manitoba-Ontario boundary moved one step closer to international recognition Friday, as two UNESCO advisory bodies recommended Pimachiowin Aki be deemed a world heritage site.
The federal, Manitoba and Ontario governments have put up millions of dollars over the past decade in the attempt to secure the designation for Pimachiowin Aki — an Ojibwa phrase that translates as "the land that gives life."
The effort was dealt a setback in 2013, when the same UNESCO advisory groups said it was unclear whether the area — a relatively untouched stretch of forest half the size of New Brunswick — is unique.
