Svjetlana mlinarevic

Svjetlana Mlinarevic

Herald Leader

July 11, 2014

 

The provincial government has set the cost for this year’s flood to $200 million and growing.

 

During a press conference on Friday afternoon, Premier Greg Selinger made the announcement.

 

“(The total) will exclude all the agriculture programs and it excludes any repair work that has to be done to the flood infrastructure itself, such as the Diversion, because the water is still too high to know what the impact has been on the quality of that infrastructure. This is the cost for the on the ground infrastructure,” said Selinger.

 

As a preliminary estimate, the provincial government set repair costs for roads and bridges in western Manitoba at more than $200 million. The province will allocate $60 million for bridges, $40 million for roads, and $100 million for disaster financial assistance (DFA). Of the $100 million set aside for DFA, $70 million to will go to municipalities and individuals with $30 million set for the province to cover its flood costs.

 

Keystone Agricultural Producers estimates 3.5 million acres of farmland will be affected by the flood costing the industry $1 billion. The province expects $60 million in claims from farmers and residents. The 2011 flood totaled $1.25 billion.

According to Minister of State for Social Development Candice Bergen, who is also the MP for Portage-Lisgar, the federal government will cover up to 90-cents on the dollar under the DFA cost share program between the province and the Canadian Government.

 

Bergen said talks between the federal government and the province regarding saving farmland that has been repeatedly flooded have been ongoing.

 

“We work very closely because that’s what we want to do…. The province and the municipalities especially, know best how to deal with these floods and the best mitigation. What we want to do is provide that financial assistance, but the province will trigger (the DFA),” she said.

 

Farmers and residents who have already applied for DFA should begin to see cheques arriving in the mail as early as next, according to the premier. 

 

As the floodwaters begin to recede, so too is the military.
 

“The military made a huge difference,” said Selinger. “The equipment, skills, and training they brought to the table has made a gigantic difference in our being ready in time when the crest came.”

 

About 500 soldiers were deployed to Portage la Prairie and surrounding areas with more than 300 stationed at Southport. The soldiers were asked to make sandbags at the RM of Portage yard for the better part of the week since the state of emergency was called.

 

“Sandbagging, as you know, is extremely very physically demanding. Working from shoulder to shoulder with the people from Manitoba was great. This is important to us. This is the home game. The priority number one from a Canadian Forces perspective, that’s why we put so much emphasis on readiness, having the personnel, the vehicles, the equipment ready to go when there is a requirement,” said Brig.-Gen. Christian Juneau.

 

Juneau said from a military perspective, the Canadian Forces were extremely satisfied with the way that operation was conducted and the speed of deployment into the affected areas by regular force members and reservists from the army, navy, and air force. He added some forces members and the Auroras will remain behind incase of an emergency. The army has already completed emergency reinforcement work along the Assiniboine River dikes between Portage and Headingley.

Although the water is slowing down, Selinger cautioned Manitobans to be “vigilant.”

 

“We’re seeing it go down somewhat today in terms of what’s going into the Diversion, but there’s still lots of water flowing and we don’t know what future weather events are going to bring to Manitoba, but we do know that everybody’s focused on continuing to be vigilant and reinforce the dikes and make sure the systems are working to protect people,” he said.

 

Since the state of emergency was called on July 4, about 741 people have been evacuated from flood zones, including 454 First Nations people.

 

Flows on the Assiniboine River at the Portage Diversion dropped from its peak of 52,100 cfs on Thursday to 48,200 cfs by Friday. Flows on the Diversion dropped from about 34,100 cfs on Thursday to 30,200 cfs on Friday. Downstream of the Diversion, the Assiniboine River remained at 18,000 cfs.

 

While the Hoop and Holler has yet to be used for a controlled release, the province will still consider it as a release valve should the need arise.

 

-With files from Kristin Annable