Your forecast
Mainly cloudy, with a few showers beginning this morning. Risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon. Wind from the southwest at 20 km/h becoming northwest at 40 gusting to 60 this morning. High 18 C. UV index 3 or moderate.
Many Manitobans were mopping up, repairing damage or filing insurance claims Wednesday after wild storms spawned at least one tornado, dropped grapefruit-sized hail, flooded basements and knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of people.
A tornado touched down near Ste. Anne and 255 millimetres of rain — more than a month’s worth in one night — flooded areas in Stonewall as severe weather pounded southern Manitoba Tuesday and early Wednesday. Chris Kitching has the story.
Flooding overtook Provincial Road 323 at Highway 7 Wednesday, with a sinkhole about half a kilometre away. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press)
When J’aime Killbery realized her family’s home in the village of Balmoral was under a tornado warning Tuesday night, she decided to sleep in their basement.
When she woke up in the middle of the night, she stepped into deep water, and the mattress she was on floated away. Malak Abas reports.
J’aime Killbery, her son Easton Killberry, and her partner Blair Mollberg work to salvage treasured family memorabilia as they wade through a basement flooded with a mixture of sewage and rainwater. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press)
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. Nicole Buffie has more here.
The Town of Swan River and Municipality of Minitonas-Bowsman declared states of emergencies earlier this week after the communities flooded and stranded many in their homes.(Lance Jacobson photo)
What’s happening today
🎸Interlake troubadour Bobby Dove plays at Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club, 234 Main St., with tofusmell, 8 p.m. Ben Waldman has a preview here.
Bobby Dove’s new album Fortune Teller is being released tonight at the Times Change(d). (Supplied)
Today’s must-read
The federal agency responsible for emergency weather notifications says it’s looking into the deluge of tornado and thunderstorm alerts Manitobans received Tuesday night.
“Environment Canada understands that some people may have received what they felt was an excessive number of these alerts and we’re investigating with our partners to confirm the system worked as expected and explore potential improvements,” Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor said Wednesday.
After the storm, Winnipeggers — including Mayor Scott Gillingham — were left wondering why they received so many alerts on their devices about tornadoes in their “mobile coverage area.” Carol Sanders reports.
A screenshot from an iPhone shows it received 16 emergency alerts during Tueday’s severe weather.
On the bright side
A downtown park at 355 Portage Ave. has been redesigned as a safe, bright and colourful gathering place.
Now supporters of the $3.75-million redevelopment will strive to keep the updated Air Canada Window park in that state, shaking its past issues with open drug use and other social challenges.
“Today, it’s just one more step… in the ongoing work that we’re doing to strengthen and to rebuild and to re-imagine downtown,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. Joyanne Pursaga has more here.
Kate Fenske, CEO of Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, and Maverick Dysart plant a Uva Ursi or Bearberry plant in the garden after the grand re-opening of Air Canada Window Park. (Mike Deal / Free Press)
On this date
On June 11, 1958: The Winnipeg Free Press reported tha fast Soviet jet TU-104 would not be landing at Winnipeg’s Stevenson Field because the Canadian government was concerned there would be anti-Communist demonstrations. A $15-million road construction program to open up northern Manitoba communites only accessible by air was unveiled, including a proposed road to God’s Lake.
Today’s front page
Get the full story: Read today’s e-edition of the Free Press.
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