Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Province, Ottawa devote millions of dollars to flood protection
Homes in Breezy Point, Man., during the spring of 2009. (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
WINNIPEG - Home and business owners in high flood-risk areas of the province — especially those living along the Red River north of Winnipeg — will soon get provincial help to flood-proof their properties.
At the same time, the federal and provincial governments formally announced today that they will spend $14.4 million to construct community ring dikes north of the city, although they did not release a priority list.
Individual home and business owners, including farmers, will qualify for assistance on flood-proofing projects of up to $100,000. Participants will be responsible for 14 per cent of project costs. Nearly $10 million has been set aside for this initiative.
The money will go towards:
- Construction of private ring dikes,
- Raising structures on earth mounds to protect them from flooding, and
- Moving buildings out of flood-risk areas.
The province said it will work with landowners to identify the most practical and cost-efficient methods.
As well, the province announced it will spend another $6.6 million to improve flood forecasting and ice-jam mitigation as well as to conduct studies related to flood-control infrastructure. The measures will include:
- Feasibility assessments for new community dikes,
- Adding more ice-cutting equipment to the province’s ice-jam mitigation program,
- Acquiring highly detailed LiDAR topographic maps to accurately identify infrastructure that is at risk during a forecasted flood,
- Funding 10 new soil-moisture monitoring stations to provide "real time" soil-moisture information and improve the accuracy of flood forecasts, and
- Adding 20 new climatic monitoring stations to measure climate conditions and help improve the accuracy of flood forecasts.
The provincial government said it will also spend $1.1 million to upgrade drainage on PR 224 near the Peguis and Fisher River First Nations to help mitigate flood risks in those communities.
Meanwhile, in a joint federal-provincial announcement, the two levels of government said they would spend close to $40 million on the following initiatives:
- Improved flood forecasting and emergency response ($300,000);
- Improvements to the Portage Diversion ($6.8 million);
- Enhancements to the Shellmouth Dam ($8 million);
- Flood protection project at Melita ($200,000);
- Community ring dike project for communities north of Winnipeg ($14.4 million); and
- Four-year pavement rehabilitation initiative ($10 million).
As well, Ottawa renewed its commitment to flood-proof or relocate 75 homes at Peguis First Nation, and it indicated that it is prepared to sit down with the First Nation and the province to work out a more permanent flood-protection strategy for the community.
In the spring of 2009, an ice jam formed north of Winnipeg, causing the municipalities of St. Andrews, St. Clements, East St. Paul and West St. Paul to declare a state of emergency. Flooding from the ice jam led to the evacuation of about 30 homes.
While the jam was broken, it re-formed near Lower Fort Garry, causing the water to rise 4.5 metres (14.7 feet) in two hours. On March 31, a state of emergency was declared for the city of Selkirk due to concerns over ice jams.
Residents of the rural municipalities of St. Andrews and St. Clements were given evacuation alerts on Good Friday. Some chose to remain behind and rescue efforts commenced for them over the Easter weekend. Homes were smashed in and knocked off their basements and footings by two-metre high sheets of ice.
History
Updated on Friday, August 27, 2010 at 10:42 AM CDT:
Updated with details on the announcement
Updated on Friday, August 27, 2010 at 3:42 PM CDT:
Adds information on more flood funding.
Updated on Friday, August 27, 2010 at 3:43 PM CDT:
Adds information on more flood funding.
Updated on Friday, August 27, 2010 at 4:53 PM CDT:
Corrects typos.
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