Dozens of volunteers on the ground in Manitoba First Nation at risk of flooding

WINNIPEG – Flood prevention efforts are underway in a Manitoba First Nation, with dozens of volunteers from across Canada travelling to the community to set up sandbags and other protection measures. 

More than 30 volunteers from Team Rubicon, a veteran-led national humanitarian aid organization, are on the ground in Peguis First Nation, located along the Fisher River north of Winnipeg.

The first team arrived in the community Friday after leadership appealed to the federal government to send help as it prepares for the threat of devastating floods. 

Tim Kenney, chief operating officer of Team Rubicon, expects there to be up to 70 volunteers with the organization’s operations from Canada and the U.S. in Peguis this week. 

“This is one of the rare opportunities that we have to get onto the ground before disaster has struck and to really try to make sure that the damage is minimized to the greatest extent possible,” he said.

The province updated its spring flood outlook on Saturday to indicate an increased flood risk for the Interlake region, which Peguis is part of, due to a large accumulation of snow, a delayed melt and an increased likelihood of rapid spring runoff. 

Recent snow surveys show that the amount of snow water in the Fisher River basin is among the highest seen in recent years, the province said. 

The First Nation has been advised that if conditions remain unfavourable, it could see water levels similar to the 2022 flood, considered one of the worst in the community.

In addition to Team Rubicon, the province and the Canadian Red Cross have mobilized resources.

“Canadian Red Cross personnel will assist with filling sandbags that will be used to support Peguis First Nation,” a spokesperson said Monday. 

The Manitoba government said it has arranged for tens of thousands of sandbags to be delivered to Peguis and surrounding communities. 

Lisa Naylor, the minister of transportation and infrastructure, said Monday that she spent the day in Peguis and Fisher River meeting with local leaders.

“I have seen first-hand the hard work being done by the community, volunteers and folks like Team Rubicon to fill and lay sandbags to protect the homes and infrastructure of these communities,” Naylor said in a statement. 

“There is still a lot of work to be done, and our government will continue working with local leadership, the federal government and the other organizations involved to ensure we mitigate the potential impacts of these extreme weather events.”

Work is underway to protect homes and infrastructure most at risk.

Peguis First Nation Chief Stan Bird said more than roughly 225 homes require flood protection, such as sandbags or water-filled barriers commonly known as Tiger Dams.

“This is a large, co-ordinated response and work is happening across the community,” Bird said in a Facebook update on Sunday evening. 

Peguis First Nation has dealt with several floods in recent decades.

The community was relocated in 1907 — from good farming land close to Winnipeg to its current location on a flood-prone river delta — under a surrender of land to the federal government that was later deemed illegal.

The 2022 flood forced more than 2,000 residents out and hundreds of homes were damaged.

The community has said spring runoff could begin as early as this week, meaning timing is everything when it comes to flood prevention.

Its sports complex has been repurposed so it can be used to house residents and volunteers.

Kenney said volunteers are expected to stay in the First Nation for one week.

“We also have to be careful of not becoming a strain on the community’s resources. And so that’s kind of the balancing act that we’ve been doing, between accommodations and feeding considerations, as well as how much work is there to be done.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2026.