Bracing for crest as Assiniboine River flows east

CTV Winnipeg: Bracing for river's crest Alesia Fieldberg on flood preparations as the Assiniboine River's crest moves east through Manitoba.

Hundreds of soldiers, firefighters and citizens from around Manitoba volunteered to help raise sandbags around homes as the Assiniboine River’s crest is expected to reach the Portage la Prairie area around noon on July 9, before continuing to flow east.

"Our number one goal over the next period of time is to prevent blow-out of the dikes," said Steve Ashton, the province's minister responsible for emergency measures, on July 8.

If dikes do give way, it's hoped sandbag walls will help protect homes.

Kevin Yuill farms near the Portage Diversion and hundreds of acres of his farmland are flooded.

He and others on the Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilitation Committee understand the government needs to divert water to protect people in places like Winnipeg.

But, the group doesn't want the government to forget everyone else affected.

Yuill says the water channelled into Lake Manitoba should then be channelled out.

Trailers serving as giant billboards west of Portage la Prairie urge the government to create a floodway in the north end of the lake.

Yuill had them brought in Tuesday. They had rested north of Winnipeg since 2011.

Manitoba is expecting the Assiniboine River to rise to same levels as the 2011 flood -- one of the worst in the province's history.

The surge prompted Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger to declare a state of emergency Friday and ask for military assistance to prepare homeowners.

- with a report from Alesia Fieldberg and files from The Canadian Press