Floodwatch

Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Saturday, Apr. 11, 2009

Newest developments: Alberta-based Gerry Clement has been bombarding provincial officials and the media with emails, saying he was involved in the design of the inflatable dam tubes being used in some areas, and warning that the original design had flaws and can fail.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/04/2009 (6020 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Emergency Measures Minister Steve Ashton said Friday that his staff is looking into the concerns Clement raised, and that he is not the only supplier of such materials who has contacted the province. "With the tubes, we first used them in 2005" and have tested them repeatedly, Ashton said. "They’re not a substitute, but a supplement to, sandbag dikes."

WINNIPEG has called off emergency sandbagging because ice jams in the Kingston Row area have moved about two kilometres north and are currently not causing problems. Ice jams on the Red River were held up early Friday at the bridge in St. Adolphe, then broke up into much smaller chunks which did not present problems when they reached the floodway.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Ice-breaking machines sit idle Friday afternoon after one went into the floodway close to the St. Mary's Bridge. The machine's operator was unharmed, but the ice-breaking operation was shut down until further notice at that location. — MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ice-breaking machines sit idle Friday afternoon after one went into the floodway close to the St. Mary's Bridge. The machine's operator was unharmed, but the ice-breaking operation was shut down until further notice at that location.

The crest is in the Emerson to Letellier area and is expected at Morris on Monday. It should reach the south end of Winnipeg on Thursday.

Gawkers and sightseers are getting in the way of flood-fighting crews. Officials report people putting private boats, canoes and kayaks in the water, endangering both themselves and those who will have to rescue them.

Trouble spots:

About 40 homes in Breezy Point north of Selkirk are under an evacuation order because their access roads have been cut off. Most are unoccupied summer properties.

Minor flooding has started on the Assiniboine River from St. Lazare to Griswold. Flooding is expected on Assiniboine tributaries from Brandon to Birtle next week.

The RM of Stuartburn declared a state of local emergency at 8:15 a.m. Friday because ice jams in the Roseau River have pushed water out of the channel. Some overland flooding is expected.

Dominion City may soon be ordered to close its ring dike.

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Busting up the shoreline ice has paid off as the floodway is now working at full efficiency. — JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Busting up the shoreline ice has paid off as the floodway is now working at full efficiency.

Weather impact:

ABOUT 10 millimetres of rain will fall Sunday and Monday, while warmer temperatures will speed up melting.

Quote of the day:

‘We had the same problem with tornadoes, people trying to get the ultimate YouTube (video). Floods are not a spectator sport — people should give their head a shake’

— Emergency Measures Minister Steve Ashton

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October 3, 2025