Biz owners plead for help after flooding washes out park

WINNIPEG — Business owners at Duck Mountain Provincial Park who have lost thousands in revenue say they’re feeling left out of flood-recovery assistance in the Parkland region.

Dawn Dowsett, owner of Blue Lake Resort, said life has been chaotic since the park closed on June 30 due to road washouts.

While there is limited access to the park, with some seasonal campers and cabin owners returning, it’s listed as closed on the Government of Manitoba’s website, with no nightly camping available until July 23.

She says the resort, which includes a restaurant and store, is missing out on part of the summer, a peak time for the business.

“It’s still very, very quiet around here,” she said, expecting losses to be well into “the thousands.”

She hopes the province will allow the park to open to campers sooner.

Torrential rain in June devastated parts of the Parkland region and washed out roads in and out of Duck Mountain. Nearly 50 communities, including many surrounding the provincial park, implemented states of local emergency due to flooding.

One of the few businesses in Duck Mountain, Dowsett said it’s frustrating to have been kept in the dark as to why the park will be closed for two more weeks.

“If somebody has to close because they can’t weather this storm, then how will the campground stay viable?” she said.

She said it was the business owners who came to the aid of many of the 200 campers stranded in the park when it was forced to close. At her store, she let people shop on the honour system, letting them take what they needed on a promise of repayment, when power outages knocked out point-of-sale systems.

Now, she says it’s time for the province to help the businesses in their time of need: “We just want answers,” she said.

A representative of the nearby Childs Lake Lodge and Outfitters said it has also had income essentially cut to nothing due to the park’s closure, calling what is usually the busy season “a painful time.”

A request for an interview with Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor was not accommodated Saturday, but a government spokesperson said the province was working to rectify the situation.

“We currently have staff on the ground to restore roads and roadways within Duck Mountain Provincial Park in order to allow it to fully and safely reopen as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The province noted it has initiated a disaster financial assistance program to assist those impacted by the floods, including local businesses. It did not provide any information as to whether the program would be expanded to mitigate business losses.

Premier Wab Kinew announced Friday $500 cheques would be sent to 1,800 Manitobans who have applied for disaster financial assistance. It also launched the Manitoba flood recovery program for residents in the hardest-hit communities, offering one-time grants to homeowners and tenants who are uninsured or whose insurance coverage is inadequate. The grants are available regardless of whether applicants qualify for disaster financial assistance.

“While disaster financial assistance arrangements have existed over many years in Manitoba, these have typically been programs that roll out over months after a natural disaster occurs,” Kinew said. “What we’re doing this year is rushing to ensure that help gets to you as soon as possible.”

Christine Stevens, director of the province’s Emergency Management Organization, said there is no set maximum payout. Funding can cover expenses, such as cleanup and structural repairs, with the amount determined by the assessed impact of the flooding.

Cam McIntyre, owner of the Wellman Lake Lodge in Minitonas, wants similar monetary support flowing to businesses for lost income.

He estimated he’s lost about $100,000 in revenue due to closures at nearby Duck Mountain. He said was blindsided by the closure, calling communication from the province “very poor.”

“There was no (notice) from the government saying: ‘We’re going to close the park.’”

He said he realizes the province cannot control the weather, but they can control the response and the disaster assistance, saying while officials in the park have been trying to help, they have limited answers.

“I’m a business owner,” he said. “I realize that I have to take certain risks … However, when a tragedy like this happens, you would like some reassurance from the government.”

McIntyre said he appreciated when Kinew said no one would be left behind — but that’s how he’s feeling now.

He heard from the province’s emergency measures organization after he posted an AI-generated image online that depicted the premier visiting communities in a Where’s Waldo scenario — “Where’s Wab?” The image criticized the premier for being around for photo ops but taking little action.

McIntyre said he was told by the provincial representative to apply for the disaster assistance funding, but was offered no solid information on recovering business losses.

“He wasn’t offering me anything other than the script that was written,” he said.

» Winnipeg Free Press