Legislative Electronic Publications -- Province Of Manitoba And The Government Of Canada Sign $240 Million Agreement For Red River Floodway Expansion

Manitoba Government News Release:
Information Services, Room 29, Legislative Building, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 0V8 Telephone: (204)
945-3746 Fax: (204) 945-3988

December 08, 2003

PROVINCE OF MANITOBA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA SIGN $240 MILLION AGREEMENT FOR RED RIVER FLOODWAY EXPANSION

Ottawa - December 8, 2003 - Manitoba Premier Gary Doer and Allan Rock, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Infrastructure, today announced the signing of a $240 million joint funding agreement to support the expansion of the Red River Floodway around Winnipeg. This is the largest federal-provincial investment partnership in Manitoba since the construction of the original Floodway in the 60s.

"The Floodway expansion has been Manitoba’s top infrastructure priority and this signing is an important milestone," said Premier Doer. "Engineering for the project has been ongoing for some time and the environmental approval process is well underway.

With the signing of this agreement we can begin preparing for the excavation and construction work to begin."

"This is the first funding agreement under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund signed in Western Canada. It is the result of the successful partnership between our two governments," said Minister Rock. "The expanded Floodway will significantly help improve flood protection for the people of Manitoba."

After the Flood of the Century in 1997, the International Joint Commission concluded that: "the risk of failure of Winnipeg’s existing flood protection infrastructure is high under flow conditions similar to or greater than those experienced in 1997." Damage to Winnipeg, which would result from such a failure of the system, could reach six billion dollars.

In April 2003, Prime Minister Chrétien and Premier Doer each committed $80 million to the project. In August 2003, the Government of Canada declared the expansion of the Floodway as a national priority project under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, and Minister Rock and Premier Doer increased their governments’ commitments by $40 million each.

Funding now in place should increase the flood protection capability to a level that would accommodate a flood event similar to that of 1826, which was a 1 in 280 year probability of occurrence. When completed, the expanded Floodway will offer protection for a 1 in 700 year probability of occurrence.

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