Residents evacuated due to flooding in Downtown Winnipeg apartment

People living in a downtown apartment building have all been evacuated due to "significant flooding" according to the property manager.

A post on WRE Development's website said there was flooding at 170 Hargrave St. – one of the Holiday Towers buildings – on Aug. 19.

"The Winnipeg Fire Department has asked all tenants to leave," the post reads. "We haven't been given a time frame when tenants can return."

Jay Shaw, the deputy chief of safety emergency management and public information with WFPS, said a pipe on that 12th floor that provides water for fire suppression was opened just before noon Monday.

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"That proceeded to create significant water damage affecting the critical infrastructure systems of that building and required a larger response to be able to understand if the building was safe for occupancy," said Shaw.

He noted a temporary evacuation was needed. Shaw said the elevators were down and with no power in the building, it meant the fire alarm system was also disabled.

Diana Putt lives in the building and said she ignored the fire alarm at first because she didn't smell any smoke.

"Then I heard on the intercom it's a full-building evacuation. So we all came downstairs," she said.

She lives on the 22nd floor, and when she got to the 12th floor she said she could see water coming from the ceiling.

A submitted photo of the hallway on the 11th floor at Holiday Towers on Aug. 19, 2024.

She isn't sure when she will be allowed back in the building, but noted a friend has helped put her up in a hotel while she waits.

"I just sit on the couch and I wait to hear what's going to happen. I mean I hope I can go into my suite tonight. It doesn't affect those of us (above the 12th floor) but they had to turn off the power and the water, so it's a real inconvenience."

Katherine Carter is also without a place to live after being evacuated. She said at first she didn't realize what was going on and was then told she wasn't allowed back in.

"I said, 'Well, I have things I need to grab from there.' There was a cop and somebody else who eventually walked me up," said Carter. "They let me in and I had a minute to grab a few things."

Shaw said emergency social service members came down and registered more than 230 people from the building, and determined around two dozen people needed support.

"The majority of the individuals that we met with were able to find alternative accommodations and were able to do that without our supports," said Shaw.

However, Carter said she was left scrambling to find a place; eventually, her sister helped her get a hotel.

"They basically told me, 'You got to find your own way to live,' and I said, 'Well, I can't, I don't have the money to go to a hotel.'"

While she has a place for the next couple of nights, she is a little worried about what will happen next.

"There's a little anxiety and hopefully this isn't long-term."

The company said it needs to assess the damage and complete repairs before next steps can be determined.

"We are working to have this completed as quickly as possible," it said on its website.

CTV News Winnipeg has reached out to the property manager for more details on the situation.