'All hands on deck:' Manitoba asks civil servants to help flood prep on First Nation

The Manitoba government is asking public service employees to help fill sandbags to protect Peguis First Nation from flooding.

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government says it’s likely a First Nation at risk of severe flooding will be evacuated, and the province is calling on public servants to help.

The request comes as dozens of volunteers from across Canada have been making their way to Peguis First Nation, located along the Fisher River north of Winnipeg. They are helping to set up sandbags and build clay dikes to protect homes.

“It’s a bit of an all-hands-on-deck situation,” Lisa Naylor, minister of transportation and infrastructure, said Tuesday.

Preparations began last week after the flood-prone First Nation was warned that it could see water levels similar to those in 2022, when more than 2,000 residents were forced out and hundreds of homes were damaged.

The province’s spring outlook shows that the Interlake region, which Peguis is part of, is expected to get warmer weather this week, and with that comes an increased risk of flooding.

It says runoff in the Fisher and Icelandic River basins could start next week, with peak flows between April 23 and 28.

The Canadian Red Cross and volunteers with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led national humanitarian aid organization, are already in the community, along with more than 100 provincial employees with transportation and infrastructure.

No specific details were provided about the call-out for more civil servants to help at the First Nation.

As of Monday, nearly 110,000 filled sandbags had been delivered to the community. Naylor said the City of Winnipeg also sent sandbags.

Peguis also issued a call-out looking for equipment operators and drivers.

Naylor said an evacuation is “very likely,” even if flooding just cuts off roads.

“If we’re cutting off the roads to the community, it’s not safe to be there; there’s not medical care access (and) support can’t get in and out,” she said.

“All of this preparation doesn’t guarantee no evacuations. But what it means is that if you do have to evacuate, when you go home, your home will be protected.”