'It's extreme': Winnipeg residents concerned about retention ponds flooding properties
After dealing with a pair of weekend storms that brought large amounts of precipitation to Winnipeg and Manitoba, some are now dealing with retention ponds flooding their properties.
Water from the neighbourhood retention pond is creeping into Jennifer Lim’s backyard. It’s almost as high as her chain-link fence and the Amber Trails resident has never seen it like this.
“This is something else, it’s extreme,” said Lim, who is hoping the water won’t reach her house. “Still not sleeping well, it’s nerve-racking, to say the least."
Across the pond, the water is a lot closer to Jay Oza and Brant Bishop’s houses.
“It’s a virtual swimming pool out here,” said Oza.
They want the city to drain the pond.
“Drop it by a few feet so it protects our home,” said Oza.
“The lakes in the Amber Trails system are super elevated, so I wonder if there is some way they can spread the load out a little bit,” said Bishop.
The city said like rivers, retention pond water levels rise with heavy rain and snowmelt.
In a statement, it said all ponds in the city have been checked and the system for water drainage is functioning properly with no blockages.
“The water levels are much higher than usual but the City is monitoring the ponds daily and doing all it can to regulate the height of the water in the ponds.”
Waverley West Councillor Janice Lukes said ponds in her ward are overflowing too.
“They’re all high, they're all very high...the water and waste department is telling me all systems are flowing,” said Lukes.
The city is advising people to pick up sandbags at city depots to protect the outside of their property.
Impacted homeowners in Amber Trails say the city should be delivering them. The community is considering pitching in together to rent a truck.
“I kind of drive an older mom van, surprise, surprise, and loading them up is not going to be too good for me,” said Lim.
The city says sandbags are available 24 hours per day a day at 1220 Pacific Avenue, 1090 Thomas Avenue, and 1539 Waverley Street.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.