Rural communities receive disaster prevention funds

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This article was published 20/04/2024 (757 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Five communities in Westman have received funding for projects that will help prevent future disasters, including damage from wildfires, floods and extreme snowfalls.

On Thursday, Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor announced that the province had approved a total of 10 projects that will help communities face the impacts of climate change.

“Our government is committed to making sure Manitoba families and communities have the supports they need to prepare for these extreme weather events,” Naylor said in a press release. “We’re taking action to build up our resiliency and capacity so we’re prepared for future environmental events.”

This first round of funding is going to communities affected by the 2023 spring flood that had applied for the funding. It will be delivered under the province’s Mitigation and Preparedness Program through the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization.

Judy Swanson, head of council for the Municipality of Boissevain-Morton, said she is pleased that her municipality is getting up to $20,873 for road raising to reduce the risk of roads being washed out from flooding.

“We’re very excited to get some help from the province. Every municipality has issues with roads,” Swanson told the Sun.

“With the way that the environment is and what’s been changing, we need to raise some of our roads. Some of them have sunk from overuse over the years.”

The roads in the community were built for light vehicles, but now larger trucks are using them on a constant basis, leading to more difficulty maintaining them. And while the amount from the province certainly won’t cover all the costs associated with the work that needs to be done to raise the roads, it’s a big help, Swanson said.

“Any time we get any kind of help from a grant is a good thing.”

The Municipality of Norfolk Treherne is getting $16,000 in grant money for road raising and similar road repairs.

Jackie Clayton, the municipality’s chief administrative officer, says the money will go toward a particular area that has seen problems in recent years.

Elsewhere in Westman, the Municipality of Carwright-Roblin is getting $12,077 for a reserve fund, $13,361 is going to the Municipality of Deloraine-Winchester for a reserve fund to purchase an emergency operations centre generator and $18,306 has been granted to the Municipality of Louise for culvert replacements.

Other places in the province receiving funding include the Municipality of Emerson-Franklin, the Rural Municipality of La Broquerie, the Rural Municipality of Montcalm, the Municipality of Mossey River and the Municipality of Rhineland.

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