Kinew tours flood-devastated areas in western Manitoba, pledges government help

SWAN RIVER — Premier Wab Kinew, who got an aerial view of the devastation from flooding in the Parkland region Wednesday, said the province is ready to help, any way it can.

“In a disaster like this, money is never an issue,” said Kinew, who took a helicopter tour of the floodwater-ravaged areas.

“Whatever resources necessary will be provided to help people out,” he said after viewing the devastation in Minitonas.

The province will activate the disaster financial assistance program for municipalities that have declared states of emergency as well as open applications for the Emergency Social Services programs for residents.

“We have our little bureaucratic processes that we have to go through, but we’re going to make sure that those things line up and meet the need of people here in the Swan Valley region,” Kinew said.

“There’s a lot of emotion,” he said. “People are stressed out, some tears, people have been up for … I’m sure it feels like days at this point. But there’s a lot of community spirit,” he told reporters at the Swan Valley airport.

“In a disaster like this, money is never an issue.”

The premier travelled to western Manitoba to assess the damage left by a once-in-200-years rain event that left hundreds without power or water. He toured the towns of Swan River and Minitonas to see the devastation first-hand after nearly 148 millimetres of rain fell Sunday night, causing massive overland flooding.

The Town of Swan River and Municipality of Minitonas-Bowsman declared states of emergency earlier this week. Highways and roadways in the area remain washed out, leaving some residents stranded in their communities, unable to get to work or access emergency supplies.

The province had to cut a section of Highway 10 outside Swan River to relieve some of the pressure built up in the Tamarack Creek that had flooded the community. On Monday, the Roaring River, a stream of the Swan River, burst its banks and caused the Tamarack Creek to overflow.

Highway 83 east of Swan River at the Tamarack Creek was opened Tuesday to help accelerate the release of backed-up water.

Kinew said videos and photos of the devastation don’t do justice to the severity of the situation.

“To see how what could have been a dry creek bed in normal years all of a sudden tear apart a major highway or tear apart someone’s property… that first-person perspective of seeing the impacts helps to mobilize the government and social responses necessary to give people the help that they need,” he said.

The provincial Emergency Management Organization has been mobilized to co-ordinate the response, and workers from the Transportation and Infrastructure Department were assessing damage in the region.

Water has receded in many areas of Swan River, leaving behind mud, silt and soil from surrounding farmers’ fields, according to resident Morgan Buck.

At its height, the water was knee-deep in some residential areas, she said.

The community, located about 335 kilometres north of Brandon, has banded together to deliver supplies and sandbag homes.

“This is a community of blue-collar workers,” Buck said. “We’re not afraid of rolling up our sleeves and doing a tough job. The whole community has been so great, even though everyone is so tired.”

“The whole community has been so great, even though everyone is so tired.”

Buck’s home was spared from the flooding, but she is keeping a wary eye on the forecast and plans to keep her sandbags in place until she knows for certain the threat of more flooding is gone.

Environment Canada called for showers Wednesday night and a 60 per cent chance of rain Thursday.

In Minitonas, cellphone service was restored after two days of spotty connections. Manitoba Hydro said Tuesday night power was back on in the town, restoring service to about 265 customers. Crews began rebuilding lines to Wellman Lake and the surrounding area, which left 167 customers without power until repairs are complete.

Crews from the Office of the Fire Commissioner and Christian Aid Ministries Canada are set to help residents pump out flooded basements.

Minitonas area resident Lesley Sembaluk hasn’t slept more than two hours each night since Sunday night’s storm. She and her husband have been taking shifts manually pumping water out of their yard so it doesn’t seep into their home. Their basement flooded and they’ve been staying in a camper on their property since.

“There’s levels of frustration,” Sembaluk said. “You’re not getting a full sleep, so you’re exhausted and you get frustrated with everything.”

Residents have been co-ordinating their efforts to make sure supplies are shared, where needed. A visitor centre popped up in the town’s elementary school where food, coffee and water is being doled out to residents and volunteers.

Kayla Hlady organized the visitor centre since she was spared from the flooding. The Northwest Metis Council was able to gain access to the town via back roads and delivered food for residents whose homes are without power.

“Everyone’s tired but we’re pushing through,” she said. “We’re just working through this bump in the road.”

Minitonas missed another deluge of rain Tuesday night. Environment Canada warned more storms were headed for the region, but Hlady said it amounted to a steady mist and did not exacerbate the disaster.

“Everyone’s tired but we’re pushing through.”

The Municipality of Swan Valley West continues to repair washed-out roads in the area after it declared a state of emergency Tuesday. About 150 residents were evacuated from their homes but some remain stranded because of the unusable roadways, Reeve Bill Gade said.

Provincial Road 268, known as Lenswood Highway, was compromised Tuesday night when the approach to a bridge crumbled under the weight of vehicles. It is one of the only open roadways between Swan River and Minitonas.

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Gade said crews were working on the stretch of highway Wednesday afternoon and expected it to be open to single-lane traffic by Wednesday night.

Gade accompanied the premier’s tour and was thankful Kinew got to see the devastation in person, but he said residents are uncertain about the future.

“The question here is what is the province going to do to help?” he said.

— with files from Alex lambert of the Brandon Sun.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca

Nicole Buffie
Multimedia producer

Nicole Buffie is a reporter for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom as a multimedia producer in 2023. Read more about Nicole.

Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.