Massive retention pond could be built in Manitoba community to help prevent flooding

CTV’s Jon Hendricks has more on the RM of Stuartburn’s plans to reduce flooding in the region.

A Manitoba community is hopeful that a new plan to keep water at bay will help to prevent springtime flooding in the area.

“For many, many years, as far back as I can remember, water has been coming from the east side,” said Michelle Gawronsky, reeve of the RM of Stuartburn.

“We’ve got Horseshoe Lake on the east side of the municipality, and it has caused major water problems for many years now.”

Officials call the RM of Stuartburn the aquifer for the province, as the community deals with a high water table, as well as major flooding in non-drought years.

“Basements are almost all drowned year round,” said resident George Thibodeau.

However, this may not be an issue for much longer.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has given the community a $70,000 grant to conduct a feasibility study on building a massive retention pond to store and control the water that pours through the region every year.

“We are looking at building one of the biggest reservoirs, if not the biggest reservoir that the province of Manitoba is going to have,” Gawronsky said.

“We will take the water, we’ll have control of the water and we can release it.”

The exact cost of the project is not known as of yet, but it’s expected to cost millions.

Gawronsky believes it is essential work to keep excess water out of her community -- and potentially share it with drought prone areas to the west.

“This is a project that is, well, 20 years old,” she said.

“People have been trying to figure out what to do with it and how to solve it. well, let’s build a hole. let’s hold the water.”

The feasibility study is expected to take roughly a year to complete.