You'd think when a good news story comes along, the federal government would want to squeeze as much publicity out of it as possible.

Well, think again.

On Thursday, October 25, Stephen Harper was heading to Northern Ontario, a part of the country not usually on his itinerary.

But no one in his office would say why he was going.

Local sources told CBC that he was going to announce a new National Marine Conservation Area for the north shore of Lake Superior.

It's a great initiative, the largest area of protected fresh water in the world. Ten years in the making. A natural headliner.

Not to mention politically timely in these days of growing drought and water woes.

But the government left everyone involved in the announcement in the dark.

Sources say Environment Minister John Baird was supposed to make the announcement.

At the last minute, the Prime Minister's office stepped in.

The first clue journalists got that something was up was from Stephen Harper's itinerary, which said he was going to Lake Superior but didn't say why.

On Wednesday, the day before the announcement, local officials in northern Ontario were only told "something may happen," but not what and not when.

Local conservationists got cryptic messages to be "ready" for some kind of announcement.

Even in the Ontario government that jointly shares the conservation agreement, officials were left scratching their heads and juggling plane schedules until late in the afternoon on Wednesday.

As for journalists, they received a cryptic note about 4:40 PM saying the Prime Minister would make "an announcement" in Nipigon, Ontario the next day, but no details.

Afterwards, several media outlets complained it was a little late to make travel plans. Two hours later the Prime Minister's officials offered a few seats on a plane for journalists if they could go up to Thunder Bay the next morning.

For a Conservative government still under fire from the opposition about its environmental record, the new National Marine Conservation Area was a perfect opportunity to reap the public relations benefits from a truly positive plan.

But it seems they just don't want anyone to know about it.