Brandon declares local state of emergency

The City of Brandon has declared a state of local emergency as officials prepare for forecasted flooding along the Assiniboine and Shellmouth river basins and continued increases in river levels.

The council voted unanimously during a special meeting Saturday evening to support the recommendation of the city’s Emergency Manager, Tobin Praznik, and Director of Engineering, Kyle Winters, following updated provincial flood forecasts showing continued increases in expected river levels.

Mayor Jeff Fawcett said the move is a proactive measure to protect residents, critical infrastructure and property.

“The declaration should not alarm residents, … it is intended to ensure the city is prepared well before the river reaches its expected peak around July 12,” he told the Sun.

“For almost the entirety of the city, there’s really no impact. This is all about the river and ensuring we can do the necessary dike work. It’s preventative, just like we’ve done historically, to make sure all our actions are in place to prevent a serious incident from potential flooding.”

Fawcett said while the council approved the declaration, it was forwarded to the provincial government for enactment, following the required process.

“The council voted to have that, and then it gets sent to the province to enact,” he said. “We’re ahead of the game. People should continue to act as they have been, stay away from the river areas and follow public safety directions.”

He said no evacuation orders have been issued and that the declaration does not affect travel into or out of Brandon.

The declaration provides additional authority and flexibility to respond quickly to changing flood conditions. At the same time, the Emergency Operations Centre remains fully activated and continues coordinating response efforts with provincial agencies, emergency services and local partners, the City stated in a press release issued on Saturday.

The release urged residents to avoid the dike system, closed trails, parks, pathways and riverbanks, respect all barricades and warning signs, avoid driving through flooded areas, monitor official city updates and be prepared for possible disruptions should conditions worsen.

The declaration follows the completion Friday night of the temporary dike closure at the intersection of Grand Valley Road and 18th Street, one of the city’s key flood protection measures. No additional dike construction is planned over the weekend, although crews will continue monitoring river conditions and may carry out minor cleanup work before the anticipated rise in water levels, the city stated on its website, brandon.ca.

Brandon’s preparations come as flood conditions continue to worsen across western Manitoba.

In Minnedosa, provincial officials warned Saturday that water levels continue to rise and are expected to increase by about 1.2 metres above current levels, with the flood peak anticipated within three days.

The town has been filling and deploying sandbags, while Manitoba Emergency Measures supplied two trailers carrying 6,000 feet of Tiger Tubes for flood protection. The municipality has also requested an additional 60,000 sandbags and is urging residents in vulnerable areas to protect their properties immediately. Volunteers are also being sought to assist with flood preparations.

Swan River lifted its mandatory evacuation order for flooded homes Saturday as recovery efforts began.

The federal government has approved the deployment of members of the Canadian Armed Forces to western Manitoba’s Parkland region to assist with logistics, resource coordination and response assessments after a request from the Manitoba government.

Veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon Canada is also being deployed to assist with recovery efforts, while the federal government is providing incident response personnel and disaster financial assistance.

Flooding has affected several Parkland communities, including Swan River, Dauphin and Minitonas, where heavy rainfall around Canada Day caused rivers to overflow, inundating homes, washing out roads and leaving some cottagers temporarily stranded in Duck Mountain Provincial Park.

Fawcett said the city would continue monitoring conditions daily and would provide updates as forecasts evolve, encouraging residents to rely on official communication channels for the latest information rather than rumours circulating on social media.

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