Canada’s Minister of Emergency Management has approved a request for federal assistance to assist the flood-ravaged regions in western Manitoba.
Eleanor Olszewski says: “We will continue working with the province of Manitoba, local leaders and Indigenous partners, to make sure Manitobans have the support they need now and, in the weeks, and months ahead as recovery continues.”
Support will include a small team of Canadian Armed Forces members to help with logistical assistance and resource co-ordination.
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And within the next 24 hours, Team Rubicon Canada, a veteran-led disaster response organization, will deploy volunteers with military, emergency response and disaster recovery experience, and they’ll provide direct assistance on the ground.
Support from the Canadian Red Cross will continue and assistance will be given to Manitoba’s Emergency Coordination Centre.
One of the areas still in turmoil is Swan Valley and the Reeve of Swan Valley West Bill Gade says they’re trying to save as many homes as possible.
“We need to get the basements stripped out, get the drywall out and prevent the mould from taking hold. We don’t want to tear the houses down, said Gade. “And for that we just need the volunteers, and certainly the military is one option for that.”
Gade says it will cost a lot of money and time to make repairs to municipal infrastructure.
“We’re going to be over 10 million dollars in our municipality and times that by all the other ones. It’s just unimaginable how much this will cost.”
