Flood Watch Continues throughout Manitoba

March 27, 2009

Monday, March 30, 2009 – Areas of southern Manitoba and north of Winnipeg have been bracing themselves for a potential flood watch over the last few weeks.  Residents and volunteers have been coming out in droves to help sandbag homes along the Red River.   

This past weekend, Minister Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, MP for Provencher and senior Manitoba Minister, travelled throughout Manitoba to survey the flood-affected areas and meet with provincial and municipal officials as well as volunteers.

“This is obviously a difficult time for residents along the Red River. Our Government is working with the Province of Manitoba to closely monitor this situation,” said Toews, who travelled to Grande Pointe with Premier Doer on Friday.

Substantial flood protection measures, cost-shared between the federal, provincial and local governments, have been put in place since 1997. Improvements include:

•  Over $800 million in provincial and federal funding has been invested into flood preparations since the 1997 flood.

•  Over 1,700 individual homes, businesses and farms are now protected.

•  The communities of Rosenort, Morris, Brunkild, St. Jean, Dominion City, St. Adolphe, Emerson and Letellier now have ring dikes protecting their communities according to the 1997 flood standard.

•  New ring dikes have been constructed at Ste. Agathe, Grande Pointe, Niverville, Gretna, Aubigny, Lowe Farm, Riverside, St. Pierre, Rosenfeld and Roseau River.

•  Ring dike extensions or replacements have been completed at Rosenort, St. Pierre, Dominion City and Emerson.

•  In the city of Winnipeg, ring dike projects on Kingston Crescent, North Drive, Kilkenny Drive and Parkwood Place have been completed.

•  Today, the floodway's channel capacity is more than double what it was in 1997 and is on schedule to deliver 1-in-700-year flood protection later this spring.

•  Three million sandbags are available in Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation’s warehouse for use, and two new sand bagging machines are ready for use.

•  3,000 metres of water barrier material is available, and Manitoba has two Amphibex icebreakers and ice-cutting machines available.

•  Considerable work has been done to protect individual drinking water supplies, including the conversion of domestic wells to rural water supply pipelines, and there has been remediation and protection of existing wells.

Minister Toews travelled to Emerson, Letellier, Dominion City, Morris and St. Adolphe on Saturday to meet with municipal officials.

“Our Government is prepared to work with local municipalities and residents through this flood threat. We are monitoring the situation and are ready if the province requests our assistance,” concluded Toews.

Flood bulletins and further information can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/flooding.