Norma, you might want to start this same thread over on the Far North Gardening forum as well. There are lots of people that read and post over there that are from Manitoba.

Good luck catching whoever is doing this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Far North Gardening

Norma,

Could be someone who's filling their garden as well.

Here in Nova Scotia, they are on the endangered list and it is unlawful to pick the plant or the flower. We have them growing in a small meadow, both the pinks and the whites (which are even more rare). We've had folks ask if they could have some for their gardens, in which case I educated them in regards to the fact that it takes seven year for this plant to flower after the seed germinates, and once the flower is picked, the plant will never bloom again.

We have 14 prescious 'Ladies' as we call them. They are real treasures!

Thank you so much hunnerbun and tiffy for the information and direction. Still on the hunt for the culprit(s), but I have managed to enlist the help of our municipality and our local newspaper. And I have managed to get a few neighbors on the lookout as well.
Happy gardening.

we have had holes dug around in the ditch where there had been yellow and pink lady slippers growing. The road crews usually cut the grass along the ditch and cut down the lady slippers too. I found a pink lady slipper cut in half from the swather and I dug it up and planted it in my flower bed. It bloomed the next year too. I hate to dig them up, but thought of it a 'rescue' instead. right now the lady slippers are still blooming and the red lilies are in full bloom too.

Hi I read that only the white rate ones are protected under law. Is that in correct? Thanks they are Amazing

Southern Manitoba here, if it's any conciliation they aren't that endangered and are quite prolific in certain areas. Just last year a bush was cut down, a relatively small area that housed 1000s of em in. They most likely won't survive now without the forest canopy protection which is a shame.