As the Assiniboine River gets closer to its projected peak and the City of Brandon continues to prepare for its eventual cresting, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has said he has been impressed with Brandon’s response to the rising river.
Speaking both to reporters in the room and to those attending virtually, the Premier offered thanks to the volunteers and staff members who had helped secure both Brandon and other WestMan communities threatened by flood water.
“I want to thank folks who have been very proactive in these communities,” the Premier said. “Mayor Fawcett has been great to work with, we’ve had a good back and forth, he’s kept me very well informed about the activities to protect the community and the infrastructure from what we’re seeing along the Assiniboine.”
In Minnedosa, where the Little Saskatchewan River has already begun to recede, town crews and volunteers turned out in droves to stack sandbags to protect the town. They were one of several WestMan communities that declared local states of emergency due to the flooding.
“I know folks in Minnedosa have been going all out in sandbagging and working to protect their community. In Sioux Valley, it’s much the same story there. I think folks are doing a good job of trying to anticipate and prepare, and the support you’re seeing in the Parkland will be there in WestMan and other parts of the province should this continue.”
A storm on Sunday, July 5 brought more rainfall that complicated things, but a potential storm over Brandon yesterday, which came with a yellow weather alert for a tornado, did not drop the anticipated level of water on Brandon itself. Communities like Killarney did receive rain and some hail.
Kinew added based on the Hydrologic forecast he believes Brandon has done a good job preparing so far. The City of Brandon still expects the river to crest on Monday, July 13.
