Residents, businesses and municipalities affected by this week’s devastating floods will be eligible for provincial disaster assistance after Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced a provincewide Disaster Financial Assistance program during a visit to Stonewall on Wednesday.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew speaks with reporters in Stonewall on June 11 after announcing a provincewide Disaster Financial Assistance program to help residents, businesses and municipalities recover from flooding caused by record rainfall earlier in the week
Kinew made the announcement while touring flood-affected areas in the RM of Rockwood and Town of Stonewall, where record rainfall exceeding 250 millimetres triggered widespread flooding, road washouts and basement damage. The RM of Rockwood, RM of Rosser, RM of Woodlands and Town of Stonewall have all declared local states of emergency.
“Today, we’ve made the decision to activate a provincewide Disaster Financial Assistance program,” Kinew said. “What this means is that we’re treating everything that’s happened this week from the Swan Valley region to this region as one provincewide event.”
The premier said homeowners, businesses and municipalities in affected communities will be able to access financial support where insurance coverage falls short.
“I want to be very clear: no one in rural Manitoba is going to be left behind,” Kinew said. “Your provincial government is going to make sure that there are resources to help you clean up, to rebuild and to recover from these terrible storms.”
Kinew toured damaged areas in Balmoral and Stonewall before meeting with municipal officials, including Stonewall Mayor Sandra Smith and Rockwood Reeve Wes Taplin. During the visit with Smith and municipal emergency coordinator Dennis Peterson, Kinew praised the community response to the disaster.
“What has been really positive to see is the community aspect,” he said. “Neighbours working together, people even coming in from other communities to lend a hand.”
Smith said local businesses and residents have rallied to support one another since floodwaters overwhelmed drainage systems and flooded homes across the region.
“It’s neighbours helping neighbours and businesses have stepped up significantly,” Smith told the premier during their meeting.
She noted local businesses opened after hours to provide pumps and supplies, while others donated food, water and waste disposal services to assist residents and municipal crews.
The premier said affected residents should first contact their insurance providers before applying for provincial assistance.
“Hopefully, insurance can make people whole, but we’re stepping in with the DFA program at the provincial level to ensure that where insurance may not meet the needs of Manitobans, there are going to be other resources there to help people out,” he said.
While no funding amount has been established, Kinew said financial resources would be available as needed.
“When it comes to a situation like this, the money is not an issue,” he said. “We’re going to be there with the resources necessary to help people rebuild and recover.”
The premier acknowledged that disaster assistance claims can take time to process but said residents should begin reaching out immediately through their municipalities, Manitoba Emergency Management Organization officials or provincial government contacts.
The flooding has also caused significant damage to transportation infrastructure. Kinew said repairs are underway on Highway 7 after floodwaters washed out a section of the roadway near Stonewall. Highway 10 near Swan River and Highway 221 near Rosser have also been affected.
“We’re seeing huge amounts of water,” he said. “In some cases, the cuts are being made to help communities and infrastructure relieve the pressure of all that water.”
Kinew suggested the recent flooding, following last year’s wildfire season, highlights the need for governments to plan for more frequent extreme weather events.
“I think we are seeing our climate changing. It’s having a real-world impact on our way of life,” he said. “Part of that is going to be the government planning for how to respond in future years.”
For now, he said the focus remains on helping Manitobans recover.
“If you look around, this work isn’t going to get finished in one day or one week,” Kinew said. “This is a lot of effort that’s going to have to be concentrated to help people get back to normal.”
While much of the discussion focused on disaster recovery, Smith also highlighted the community’s future aspirations.
Thanking Kinew for visiting Stonewall during the crisis, she told the premier she looked forward to welcoming him back under more positive circumstances.
“I look forward to welcoming you back to Stonewall to announce our new personal care home,” Smith said.
For now, however, local officials remain focused on helping residents recover from one of the most significant weather events in the community’s history.
