With water levels expected to surge along the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, a state of emergency remains in place for the region.
Residents living downstream of Brandon, Man., are closely watching the river for floodwaters that may threaten their homes and businesses.
Water levels between Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg are expected to be one foot higher than they were during the 2011 flooding.
Provincial officials said the first crest from the floodwaters flowing from neighbouring Saskatchewan reached Brandon on Sunday, but a series of protective dikes have been holding up so far.
However, officials said there is still the possibility that they'll have to do a pre-emptive breach on one of the dikes to relieve the pressure on others.
The province said Friday it is preparing for a possible controlled release of small amounts of water near the Hoop and Holler Bend to release some of the pressure on the Assiniboine. It says the controlled release will only be made as a last resort.
The crest is below the level of the devastating 2011 floods, but officials predict that cresting levels for areas downstream of Brandon will be higher than in 2011.
The river's first crest is due to reach Portage la Prairie, Man., on Tuesday, and soldiers are in the area setting up sandbags for the region.
After the 2011 floods, the province began improving infrastructure to prepare for future flooding by reinforcing dikes and raising bridges and structures, CTV Winnipeg's Bureau Chief Jill Macyshon reported Monday.
"No one expected to see a flood within three years, so some of that work still hasn't been completed," she said, from Portage la Prairie, noting that there are concerns that the embankments along the river could still give way.
"That's a huge concern because when you have water pressing against those embankments there could be a breach at any point."
Peak water levels will also reach St. Francois Xavier, Man., by Tuesday morning at the latest, officials are warning. Though they’re still on dry ground, about 50 homes are at risk in the municipality.
Makeshift flood walls are being built as the area braces for flooding. Canadian Forces have deployed 200 troops to the area, each filling and stacking about 100 sandbags a day. Major Olivier Houle said his troops are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
“We are pretty much working around the clock. Not a lot of sleep, a lot of work,” he said. “And hopefully a lot of good endings after this.”
Mandatory evacuations
On the southern shore of Lake Manitoba, residents of West Delta Beach were forced to evacuate Sunday. People in East Delta Beach were also given a precautionary recommendation to leave their homes. The west side of the region lies lower than the east, leaving the roads more vulnerable to being washed away.
With lake waters from the north having soaked the region in the past, the town isn’t a stranger to flooding. And with the added threat of the Assiniboine River flooding the marshes from the south, sandbags are being laid to try to keep roads clear.
“And that apparently is so the east beach, which we’re standing on now, can evacuate if necessary,” said Harvey Oakley, who owns a home in Delta Beach. “Because we get washed out every time the North wind comes up there.”
Todd Andrich, also a resident of Delta Beach, remembers the 2011 flooding.
“This time we’re worried about it coming in from the marsh, which is something new again,” said Andrich. “We haven’t really planned for that.”
Kam Blight, head of the Portage la Prairie council which governs Delta Beach, said the flooding will be gradual if it does happen. But Oakley is still frustrated by the lack of planning.
“They’ve had three years to do preparation and they haven’t done a thing about it. Not one thing.”
As of Monday morning, more than 700 people in the province have had to leave their homes due to flooding in 2014, including approximately 160 residents who were forced out of their homes due to separate spring flooding.
Farmers worried
In nearby Newton, Man., Shea Doherty has been watching the flood situation closely out of concern for his greenhouse business.
The "Our Farm" greenhouse has been in Doherty's family for 20 years. He said going through the 2011 floods has prepared her for this year's flooding, but it's still difficult to know what to expect.
"It's hard to be prepared because we're uncertain of the amount (of water) that's going to be released. So in that concept it's like 'How much do you prepare for?'" he told CTV's Canada AM on Monday. "But at the same time because of 2011 we are more prepared in the area."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper toured Brandon over the weekend, getting a firsthand look at the communities affected by the flooding. Approximately 350 rural homes in the Brandon area are being threatened by the floodwaters.
Harper, along with Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger and several other local MPs, took a 20-minute helicopter tour of the Assiniboine and the flooded farmland.
Harper said he's been talking with Selinger and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall about the flooding, but didn't commit any financial support from Ottawa in addition to what is given to the provinces for disaster assistance.
Selinger declared a state of emergency on Friday, asking for military assistance to help communities prepare for the crest.
Five hundred soldiers have been deployed to the region, and residents living along the Assiniboine have been told to be prepared to leave at any moment.
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV Winnipeg
