Alice Dent Comment

   We have a residence at Twin Lakes Beach on Lake Manitoba, which has been in the family since 1968. In the spring of 2011 the Province of Manitoba flooded us out by their irresponsible use of the Portage Diversion. We lost everything on the property, the buildings, the well and holding tanks and almost all of the vegetation. We have been slowly rebuilding over the last 13 years as our finances allow.

   The province built the Portage Diversion to alleviate flooding downriver of Portage La Prairie, Winnipeg primarily. The original design called for an inlet into the lake but also an outlet which has never been built. Over the Diversion’s lifetime the Province has used the Diversion more and more for longer periods of time usually in the spring, sometimes in the summer so that the river walkways in Winnipeg are not under water for tourism, which was/is a poor design and the Province never should have allowed the current design. This reckless use has caused Lake Manitoba to be maintained at the top end of its operating range for years causing increased erosion on the shoreline (before the diversion, there are high water years and then low water years which allows the berms to rebuild) which the government of the day was fully aware of. As a result of this, we had no natural shoreline protection during the flood of 2011.

   During the flood, the province shored up the Portage Diversion which also increased its flow capacity by about 40% with no environmental licence.  After the flood and State of Emergency was over, the government got to work and made these measures permanent again without an environmental study..

   As part of the province’s flood protection system, there is a dike system South of Portage La Prairie on the Assiniboine River which has needed repairs for decades but the province has chosen to neglect repairing them which has severely limited the amount of water that is able to flow down the river.   The province has also allowed huge residential development along the river that also limits the amount of flow. This neglect has caused the province to use the Diversion more frequently than originally designed for.

   As a result of this neglect and the lack of an outlet, this flood will happen again. We don’t know when, but it will and everything will be devastated again. The amount of environmental damage as a result of the flood of 2011 is immense. There was no wildlife in the area, such a frogs, snakes, mice, skunks, birds, etc , for almost a year after the flood, the silence was truly disturbing. The vegetation has yet to grow back because there is no root system to help hold the sand and gravel from erosion.

   It is disheartening to hear different groups proclaiming that they will never allow the channels to be built, especially the ones that were so negatively impacted by the 2011 flood. There are supposed to be consultations but when minds are already made up it is unlikely they will be swayed to the other side.

Speaking of the other side, all the EIS is doing is setting us up for an “US VS THEM” scenario. Those that want the channels built and those that don’t. I see that there have already been formal consultations done for certain groups that are against the building of the channels but where is the formal invitations for those of us that want the channels built? Again, “US VS THEM”.

   In summary, I believe that those that were affected by the last flood and are against the channel need to consider the damage that will be done from the NEXT flood verses building the channel.  Iit is only a matter of time before we flood again.

   Thank you,

Alice Dent