Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton (centre) announces an independent review of the 2011 flood on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. David Farlinger (left) will chair the flood review task force, and Harold Westdal (right) will chair a new Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin regulation review committee. (SHANE GIBSON / METRO WINNIPEG)
Homeowners in Souris watch as the water creeps up to a protected property in this July 2011 file photo. (STAN MILOSEVIC / MANITOBAPHOTOS.COM)
The Manitoba government has created an independent task force to review the 2011 flood.
Opposition parties have been calling on the NDP to order review of the flood after several flood forecasts were wrong, causing many communities to be inundated with flood water.
Emergency Measures Minister Steve Ashton said Wednesday the review will look at how to better handle future floods. Civil engineer David Farlinger will chair the review, which will focus on provincial and municipal preparedness and response, flood forecasting, public communications and information sharing, operation of flood control infrastructure, and flood protection works.
“Record flooding affected thousands of Manitoba families in 2011 and the rapid and extended response by provincial and local officials was unprecedented,” Ashton said. “Manitoba has a history of learning from major floods and taking steps to improve flood-fighting tools for the future. The findings of the task force and these other initiatives will be a critical part of our ongoing improvement of flood management in the province going forward.”
The review will cost the province $4 million.
