Flood fight ‘going as well as it could’: Tory MP

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This article was published 09/05/2022 (961 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — Two Conservative MPs representing some of the flood-impacted areas of Manitoba say Ottawa and the province are doing a good job of managing the situation.

“It’s going as well as it could, given that this is a tragedy,” said James Bezan, whose own farm in the higher part of Teulon is water-logged.

In the Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman riding, Bezan said towns and First Nations seem to have good communication with federal and provincial officials.

The Tory MP said a year of drought followed by flooding recalls the same phenomenon in 2003-04, which made difficult years for farmers.

“This is just the state of things in 2022,” said Bezan, who had some concerns about agriculture, given farmers would normally be halfway through seeding in his region at this point of year.

Provencher MP Ted Falk was a bit less concerned, given officials expect flooding along the Red River to dissipate fairly quickly.

“The province is doing a phenomenal job, as they’ve done for the last couple of years,” said Falk, who praised various federal governments for also constructing ring dikes around municipalities after the massive 1997 flood.

Falk saying mud dikes the province has had contractors build atop permanent ones seem to be doing a good job of managing moisture around farms.

Both MPs have been on the phone with local leaders, and were able to drive around to some sites that aren’t blocked off by water. In aerial photos, some towns such as Morris appear like islands, with dikes along the perimeter and main connecting roads, which almost resemble bridges.

“I don’t think we expected it (the water) to be quite as high as it will be,” Falk said. “(But) to me, it looks like things are well under control.”

Tory MP Candice Bergen’s Portage—Lisgar riding is also facing significant flooding. In a video May 6, Bergen said she planned to visit affected communities when she could, but had to avoid flying as she had caught COVID-19.

The interim Conservative leader was seen in the Commons on Monday and Tuesday for question period.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca