The provincial government announced Wednesday that $250 million in new work is starting on flood projects aimed at protecting residents and property around Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin.
The work includes making the Lake St. Martin emergency channel a permanent feature and adding another outlet to Lake Manitoba to increase capacity, said the province.
The projects stem from recommendations made in a recent independent review into the handling of 2011's massive flood.
"There are other recommendations that will be considered as we go forward, but our advice is that these ones will have the biggest positive impact in the shortest run for these communities," Premier Greg Selinger said.
The government said work has begun to make the emergency channel on Lake St. Martin a permanent one. Engineers are also designing plans for boosting Lake Manitoba outlet capacity, said the premier.
The upcoming increase to the PST will help pay for the $250 million in flood-fighting work.
“We know these two projects will be even more effective in regulating water levels on the lakes, protecting Manitobans from increasingly severe and unpredictable weather,” said Selinger.
Residents and local municipalities hope the measures will indeed improve safeguards against flooding.
"We've lost confidence in whether or not it's a good place to live. With the announcement here today, it is somewhat reinstated the confidence Lake Manitoba once again will be a fairly safe lake to live around,” said Earl Zotter, reeve of the RM of St. Laurent.
Selinger says environmental and other approvals are needed, and a precise location for the Lake Manitoba outlet has to be chosen.
The government hopes to start construction in 2016 and finish by 2021.
- with files from The Canadian Press
