Areas of Manitoba normally little affected by flooded spring freshets

The Rural Municipality of Saint-Laurent, located 70 kilometers north of Winnipeg, had to take drastic measures to avoid the worst.

The town is one of 25 places in the province to have declared a state of emergency due to flooding. The Municipality of Rhineland was added to the list on Wednesday afternoon.

The state of emergency has allowed the Municipality of Saint-Laurent to carry out work to cut off part of the road, to divert water and protect its infrastructures, as explained by an employee, Paul Bélair.

It costs a lot of money to cut the roads, but we can apply to the province to help us financially. The water was on the road [cette fin de semaine] it went down 2 feet (0.6 meters) [depuis]. We see everywhere that it has improved said M. Belair.

Actions that were welcomed by the owner of the Big Interlake Mechanical business, located near the severed road.

Our business would have been completely submerged under water. We wouldn’t have been able to do any worksays Jessica Chartrand.

Mr. Bélair indicates that the normal water level could be reached in a week if there is no other precipitation. He also mentions that the severed road could be repaired within a week.

Arborg on high alert

Northeast of Saint-Laurent, in Arborg, located 120 kilometers north of Winnipeg, the situation is more worrying.

Staff and patients at the small town’s hospital and nursing home have been placed on evacuation alert. They could be forced to leave the premises quickly.

Residents of the southwestern part of Arborg should also be prepared to leave at any time, a city press release said Wednesday.

The heavy rains caused the Icelandic River to burst its banks.

A resident of Arborg told CBC/Radio-Canada that there are thousands of acres of land in the community under water right now and that water needs to return to the river.

700 residences in Peguis flooded

In Peguis First Nation, about 160 kilometers north of Winnipeg, Chief Glenn Hudson says the toll now stands at 700 flooded homes that are being evacuated.

About 1,400 people are now housed in hotels in Winnipeg, Brandon and Gimli.

The Peguis First Nation has 11,000 members and 4,800 people living in the community, making it the largest Aboriginal community in the province.

Peguis will notably be able to count on the help of 100 volunteers.

Indigenous Services Canada announced that 75 volunteers will be sent to the community. Some members of the citizen patrol of the BearClan will also be part of the group.

In addition, another 25 volunteers will come from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

For Chief Hudson, it’s a welcome help, but he continues to ask for help from the army.

We wanted military assistance, but it was offered, so we decided to follow it. I think if the water keeps rising, then I think the military should intervene. But again, we are still waiting for an answerhe explains.

Volunteers will help build dikes with sandbags, deliver groceries for residents still on site, and other related tasks, says Indigenous Service Canada.

Ottawa expects another 800 Peguis residents to be evacuated in the coming days.

With information from Jérémie Bergeron, Mario De Ciccio and Sam Samson