Chief calls for permanent flood protection for Peguis

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This article was published 05/05/2022 (966 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The chief of flood-hit Peguis First Nation, which has been submerged for a week, wants Ottawa and the province to commit money to build permanent flood protection to prevent future disasters.

Glenn Hudson said he plans to speak with both levels of government about a solution following the Interlake community’s latest flood, a one-in-100-year event which has forced about 1,600 residents to leave their homes.

“We need long-term flood infrastructure in place, whether that’s a diversion or a reservoir,” he said Friday.

A diversion was proposed about 10 years ago following a devastating and disruptive flood in 2011, with a price tag of about $90 million, Hudson said.

“I think it’s a far cry (from) having to have a community of nearly 5,000 people experience disruption in their lives for a month,” he said about the cost. “This is the fourth time in 12 years it’s happened.”

The cost of the 2011 flood — for things such as fighting water levels, recovery and rebuilding of homes — was about $18 million, and some people remain displaced a decade later, Hudson said.

He anticipates this flood could end up costing about $30 million, with long-lasting disruption for residents of the First Nation, which is about 170 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

Indigenous Services Canada spokesman Matthew Gutsch said Ottawa and Manitoba in 2006 paid for a $3.1 million study to examine flooding and protection on the Fisher River.

The study by AECOM Canada was expanded about eight years ago to look at scenarios include a one-in-100-year flood, at a cost of $178,000.

It looked at measures such as a floodway and a dike, but concluded while mitigation measures were possible, they would likely cost several hundred million dollars and likely not prevent all types of flooding, including overland, said Gutsch.

He said Ottawa has flood-proofed the most vulnerable homes in Peguis and helped the community build infrastructure above the 2011 flood level.

“Although there has been a significant amount of work done, ISC acknowledges there is still more to do, and will continue to support Peguis First Nation as they continue to rebuild,” Gutsch wrote in an email.

Johanu Botha, assistant deputy minister, emergency management and head of Manitoba’s Emergency Management Organization, said the province is open to discussing long-term solutions with Peguis and Ottawa.

“We recognize the devastation in the community and how challenging it is to respond to an event like that,” said Botha.

Hudson isn’t satisfied with Ottawa’s response so far.

“We have been discussing things, but no money has flowed to us, and this is day seven. People in the community are giving it their all, so I must applaud them,” he said.

The federal government has not agreed to Hudson’s request for military aid, saying existing resources have not been depleted.

Gutsch said federal departments are working with Peguis, the province and the Canadian Red Cross to help the flood fight and support residents with needs such as health care.

Ottawa has provided funding for equipment, including the rental of extra pumps, trucks and trailers, and for food and water, he said.

“Meetings between ISC and the First Nation will continue on a daily basis as we work together until the flood risk subsides,” said Gutsch.

The province had not received additional requests for help from ISC as of Friday afternoon, but it is ready if needed, said Botha.

Manitoba has sent equipment, including 25 pumps, and experts such as an engineering team, which was assessing the flow of water.

More than 700 homes have been hit, with swaths of the community still submerged after the Fisher River spilled its banks last weekend following significant precipitation and an ice jam.

It is the worst flooding in the area since 1962, according to the province.

Peguis, which was already in a state of local emergency when disaster struck, has issued a mandatory evacuation order.

Some flooded houses, where residents have stayed behind, cannot be reached by vehicle or boat.

Peguis is using a private medical evacuation helicopter to rescue people in an emergency or with health concerns.

Within two hours of the air ambulance arriving, it was used to airlift a 17-day-old baby, said Hudson.

As of Friday, the helicopter had been used to help 17 residents leave the flood zone, he said.

“If we lose one life, the cost of that helicopter is a non-issue,” said Hudson.

Hundreds of evacuees are staying in hotels in Winnipeg, Gimli, Selkirk and Brandon. The community’s school and its teachers are working to make sure children’s education continues, said Hudson.

After fighting floodwater for a week, many who remain in the community are tired and upset. About 400 people are involved in the effort, said Hudson.

In the short-term, Peguis needs more sandbags, temporary dams, which use water-filled tubes as a barrier, and equipment such as high-volume pumps, he said.

“We just need a reprieve from this situation,” said the chief, who is hoping for dry and warm weather in the coming days.

More rain headed to Manitoba this weekend is not expected to affect the flood situation, the province said.

The Fisher River has peaked at most locations, and flood forecasters expect it to recede within its banks in Peguis on or about Monday. A flood warning remains in effect.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching