Help arrives in Peguis to help gird for expected flood

Dozens of volunteers called upon by the federal government are already on the ground to help Peguis First Nation residents battle rising levels on the Fisher River as the province’s flood forecast worsens.

Members of Team Rubicon Canada, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that includes military veterans, retired First Responders, and other volunteers, are already at the reserve while up to 100 others are rushing here through the weekend from seven provinces, one territory and seven different American states, to assist in protecting homes and infrastructure along the Fisher River.

Jim Sutton, a Winnipegger who has volunteered with the organization for three years, and who is part of the Peguis operation, said on Saturday “it is an all-hands-on-deck situation.

“We need a lot of hands on the ground really quickly to mitigate what is about to happen.”

And what is happening is changing fast.

In about a month, provincial flood forecasters have gone from predicting only a moderate risk of a significant flood on the Fisher River to a warning water levels on it could reach levels only seen during the largest flood on record in 2022.

The most recent flood update on Saturday said not only is Peguis expected to see a flood at least as high as what it experienced in 2014 — when about 200 people were evacuated — but with a quicker melt it could see 2022 levels when hundreds were evacuated and $245 million in damages were left in its wake.

The province has also expanded the high risk of flooding warning to the Icelandic River, as well as saying the Parklands region is now at an elevated risk for overland flooding.

The province said it is because of “significantly above-normal snow-pack, a delayed spring melt, and an increased likelihood of rapid spring runoff combined with spring precipitation.”

Last week, Peguis Chief Stan Bird said “There is an urgent need to mobilize the Canadian Armed Forces to Peguis First Nation.”

Bird said Peguis has been hit by flooding about once in every three or four years, on average since 2000. The 2009 flood saw 3,000 people evacuated and left $40 million in damages, a flood in 2010 damaged 300 more homes and resulted in another evacuation, and floods in both 2014 and 2017 forced another 235 people out of their homes.

Instead of the military, at this time the federal government has sent Team Rubicon Canada.

Team Rubicon was founded by U.S. military veterans in 2010 to help in the aftermath of the earthquake hitting Haiti.

Since then, the organization has deployed to hundreds of operations in the United States and around the world, with local chapters opening up in several countries.

Canada’s Team Rubicon is one and its first mission was to help the residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., after the devastating wildfire in 2016.

Sutton said this operation came together in not just days, but more like hours.

“This has rolled out very quickly,” he said. “I got the heads up on Wednesday, we had meetings all day Thursday, and the green light on Thursday night.

“We had people on the ground on Thursday doing reconnaissance and now we have our first people going in today on Saturday… we are somebody (the federal government) can call upon to help out in situations like this without having to step up to the government.”

Sutton said Peguis has already told them at least 140 homes are at risk and need to have sandbag dikes surrounding them.

“It takes a group of 10 half a day to sandbag one house,” he said. “We are offering ourselves to the emergency management up there — where do you need help? We will do whatever dirty job you’ve got.”

Sutton said part of Saturday was spent sending teams to Home Depot, Costco, Purolator, and an office supply store to buy and pick up different supplies, including a printer, paper, technical kit with a Starlink connection, and laptops.

He said the community is quickly readying their accommodation.

“The community has just welcomed us with open arms,” Sutton said. “We are staying in the top level of their multiplex. They are using the ice surface, which they have taken off, and warming the building for local evacuees and us. We’re going to have up to 70 cots upstairs spread around.

“We’re quite used to that. I have slept everywhere from fire halls to gymnasiums to church basements — as long as they supply cots we bring our sleeping bags and our air mattresses and we are quite happy.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca