Brandon prepares for rising floodwaters as regional fallout from heavy rain continues
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BRANDON, MANITOBA – Manitoba’s second-largest city is using heavy machinery to reinforce dikes as it prepares for rising river water to crest in the coming days.
Brandon officials have declared a local state of emergency to help cut red tape and prepare for the rainwater sluicing through the Assiniboine River.
Mayor Jeff Fawcett said Monday that the city is working to shore up parts of the dike system most threatened by the rising river, which is mostly around sports fields.
“We’re just enhancing that with the clay. The machines are on there, packing it and getting it solid,” he said.
While the river level is so far quite manageable, the city has been setting up pumps along with the dike work to get ready, said Fawcett.
“In about two or three days there’s going to be a significant increase in flow, very, very noticeable, and so we are getting a lot of prep work done right now,” he said.
“Things can happen fast, and that’s why we’ve tried to get as big as we could, as quick as we can.”
He said the city is well protected by the flood barriers, with only a few houses needing to sandbag.
Brandon is the latest community to dealt with heavy rains that have swamped homes and forced people out of the Parkland region.
Farther north, the town of Swan River is cleaning up after floodwaters hit last week, flooding basements and forcing some residents to flee.
A Canadian Armed Forces team arrived in region over the weekend to help out.
Last week’s flooding also forced the closure of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre, including its emergency department, which is an important service hub for the region.
There is still no timeline on its reopening.
Flooding also closed more than 60 highway roads in the province, though work has been ongoing to reconnect them.
In Duck Mountain Provincial Park, emergency repairs allowed more than 200 stranded campers to leave over the weekend.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2026.