'This is my happy place': Betula Lake residents and businesses happy to be back following flooding in 2022

With many Manitobans planning to head to cottage country this weekend, one group of residents and businesses on one lake are just happy to be there.

Last year, flooding had forced the province to shut down Betula Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park.

Ryan and Rhonda Galloway are from Minnesota, but call their cabin in Betula Lake home in the summer.

"This is my happy place. This is where I love to be, we love to be. It's pretty easy waking up every morning and having a coffee and looking out at the lake," said Ryan.

However, their annual trip was delayed by more than a month last year as their cabin and the surrounding area was inaccessible.

"We had nobody in the area that could give us information. There wasn't people from the province coming in and looking at your property saying, 'Everything's fine. You have nothing to worry about.'"

The rapidly rising water levels led to an evacuation order last year and it posed a threat to the entire community.

"We did have some shoreline damage. But there are people on the other side of the lake that are in low spots and when the wind picks up, it's blowing right at their cottage."

While the Galloway's cabin was spared from significant damage, roads like Provincial Road 307, were flooded, which prompted the province to declare a state of emergency.

The evacuation order was lifted June 21, 2022, but the month long closure hurt businesses in the area.

"May long and the weeks after that, we are normally fully booked. So it was definitely a significant hit on us," said David Perron, the manager at Betula Lake Resort.

He said their 11 cabins sat vacant as all bookings were cancelled.

"It hurts. It's a small family owned business. It's not pretty. There's not much you can do about it," said Perron, who is hoping for a busier cottage season ahead.

Ryan Galloway is hoping to see infrastructure improvements so the impact of flooding is minimized in the future.

"We need to do what's best for everybody along the chain of lakes and the river so that it doesn't impact anybody so dramatically," said Ryan.

The province said it will continue to monitor and maintain the water control structures at Betula, White and Jessica lakes to minimize spring flooding and maintain summer water levels.