Canada making $6M investment to prevent flooding in Selkirk

The Government of Canada is investing nearly $6 million to build infrastructure that will help prevent flooding in Selkirk.

Terry Duguid, MP for Winnipeg South, and Larry Johannson, mayor of Selkirk, announced the funding this week, saying that through the new Storm Water Management Capacity Building Program the city will work on three projects to protect its homes, roads, businesses, and infrastructure.

"The effects of climate change are apparent in severe weather events like the flooding Manitoba faced last spring, which damaged homes, forced evacuations, collapsed roads, eroded riverbanks, and closed some bridges, blocking off entire communities,” Duguid said.

“Investments in disaster mitigation infrastructure help provide the necessary tools to safeguard communities against the effects of climate change.”

The work on Selkirk’s infrastructure will include the construction of a storm retention pond in the new development that is planned for west of Annie Street and south of Manitoba Avenue. This retention pond will help to capture stormwater and reduce the risk of overland flooding.

Selkirk will also be developing an active transportation pathway around the pond to encourage physical activity and help the pond mesh with the surrounding landscape.

There are also plans to continue Selkirk’s combined sewer separation program, which divides stormwater from wastewater sewers, and to improve the city’s stormwater retention ponds in the Creekside and Woodlands developments. These improvements include aeration systems and water elevation reduction on the ponds.

"Climate change is going to have huge impacts on not only our infrastructure, but most importantly the people in our communities if we don't make the investments needed now,” Johannson said.

“The unprecedented events that we experienced in the Creekside development and throughout Selkirk this spring will continue to happen more frequently and will further impact people's homes and safety. Selkirk, with partners, remains dedicated to investing in the sustainable infrastructure needed to mitigate these risks."