The Red Rises again: How to help

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/03/2009 (6267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ARE you willing to help make, deliver and build dikes with sandbags? Go to:

Rural Municipality of St. Clements: Call 482-3300 to register.

RM of St. Andrews: Report to the Fire Hall at Main Street and Donald Road and someone there will put you to work. Call 757-4748.

RM of West St. Paul: The RM is also sending volunteers to the St. Andrews Fire Hall.

City of Winnipeg: Most homeowners are fairly well set up, and the city isn’t taking volunteers for sandbagging, though that may change if conditions worsen. Call the city’s information line at 311 or visit the city’s emergency site at www.winnipeg.ca/EmergWeb.

LaSalle Hotel: The Elmwood hotel needs all the help it can get sandbagging. Show up, or call the hotel at 668-5367.

Hotline for evacuees

THE Canadian Red Cross Manitoba Region has opened a Family Reunification Line to assist evacuees and their friends and family. The line will operate from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily for the remainder of the flooding in Manitoba, and is being staffed by a team of dedicated volunteers.

The Red Cross is urging all individuals or family groups who have evacuated from flood-affected areas to please register by calling the Family Reunification Line at 1-888-662-3211.

"This line should help make it more convenient for evacuees to register wherever they are, without having to go down to a reception centre that might not be accessible or convenient," says Amanda Herbert, Disaster Response Team Director with the Red Cross in Manitoba.

Currently, two reception centres have been set up for evacuees, in the RM of West St. Paul and the RM of St. Andrews.

Stay away from lock

PUBLIC Works Canada has restricted public access to areas around the St. Andrews Lock and Dam at Lockport until the threat of flooding has passed.

With ice jams raising water levels in the area, public access to the lock and public areas on the west side of the Red River facility is being restricted. The closure will remain in effect until further notice.

Boil-water advisory

MANITOBA’S chief medical officer of health issued a general boil-water advisory for residents with wells affected by overland flooding or spring run-off.

People should either boil their tap water before drinking it or find alternative supplies.

It’s unnecessary to boil tap water for showering, laundry, bathing or washing dishes. For further information on wells and water testing, call 945-5762 or visit www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/cmoh/water.html.