REGINA — The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency and government ministries are continuing to deal with issues from flooding and weather events over the last several days.
Highways Minister Kim Gartner, Community Safety Minister Michael Weger and SPSA officials were on a conference call Monday afternoon where they outlined the damage being seen and the response efforts going on.
Weger said that on Friday he was able to join Sean Wilson, MLA for Canora-Pelly, and visit some of the hard-hit communities, including Canora and Kamsack.
They also went through the RM of Calder and “absolutely witnessed a lot of the damage that has occurred from these high water levels in these communities and the difficulties these communities are facing. Thankfully, we seem to be seeing the worst of it has passed.”
He said coming back to Weyburn from Canora on Highway 9, water had come across the highway there and highway workers “were taking traffic through there, I'm sure, all night long until I believe that highway ended up having to be closed. And so it's some very devastating stuff that's happening from the high flood levels, high water levels.”
Weger said that as minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, “we're not only here to assist with any needs as the flooding is happening, but we'll be in constant communication with municipal leadership to ensure we're there for the cleanup effort and to get those communities back to operational as soon as possible."
“I know there's definitely roads in the RMs that are out, even two roads right in the town of Kamsack that have been washed out.”
Weger said he also has been in contact with Minister Chris Beaudry over the weekend as well. Weger said that following his call with reporters that afternoon he would be heading to Fishing Lake and other nearby areas to meet with those affected.
In his update, Minister Gartner said the provincial highway network continues to be impacted by "challenging" weather conditions and flooding.
“In some locations, water is accumulated on travel lanes, while other sections of provincial highways remain closed to traffic. Ministry of Highways crews and equipment are actively responding to affected areas and working to safely restore highway access as conditions allow. Highway staff continue to monitor areas of concern and support ongoing public safety efforts across the province,” said Gartner.
“The Ministry of Highways thanks motorists for their continued patience and cooperation as crews respond to changing conditions caused by rainfall, flooding, and fluctuating water levels. Drivers are reminded to remain vigilant, follow all posted signs and directions from flag persons, and adjust their driving to current road conditions. While conditions remain fluid and may change with little notice, currently areas of higher impact include Prince Albert and the Yorkton areas.”
Taking a bit of a backseat to the flood situation is an ongoing wildfire situation that is happening at the same time.
As of 10:30 a.m. Monday, SPSA reports 64 active wildfires in the province. Seven were contained, six were not contained, 42 were listed as ongoing assessment, and nine were listed as protecting values.
For major wildfires, the Border fire is around 11,500 hectares and is not contained. The Costigan fire is listed as values protection and is approximately 13,000 hectares in size. The Kerslake fire is listed as not contained and is around 9,100 hectares in size.
The SPSA has received a total of 17 declarations of local emergency for flooding. These include Kamsack, Raymore and Norquay; the rural municipalities of Meadow Lake, Sliding Hills, Wolverine, Insinger, Philips, Livingston and Cote; the villages of Sheho, Pelly, Togo and Annaheim; the Keeseekoose First Nation; and the Resort Village of Leslie Beach.
The SPSA says it remains in contact with each of these communities and is supporting multiple communities and rural areas with equipment and resources, including pumps, hoses and sandbags. The SPSA says its emergency service officers will continue to liaise with communities being affected by flooding and assist as required.
There is currently one community that has nine priority one individuals evacuated: Cote First Nation.
SPSA says anyone travelling in or near impacted areas is urged to remain vigilant and stay in contact with resources available, including the SPSA interactive map, SaskAlert and the Highway Hotline.
Major flooding in Kamsack, Canora and other areas
Several areas of east central Saskatchewan are reporting being hard hit by flood damage. Among those hard hit areas is Good Spirit Lake, near Kamsack, which is reporting major flooding had wiped out the sand dunes there.
Minister Weger said Minister Wilson has been "in constant communication" with the residents along and around Good Spirit and the RM of Good Lake.
"So very well aware of the situation. I know there were sandbagging in certain areas there. I just don't have specifics on where they were. But again, doing everything they can with the amount of water that's coming into that lake, and it can only get out so fast.And I know that the White Sand River was flowing right out and breaching its banks, trying to get the water out of Good Spirit Lake as fast as possible. But it's dealing with that sort of shallow gradient that they have as far as the water getting out of there."
SPSA reports their emergency services officers have been in contact with the area and with the R.M. of Good Lake, as well as with Burgess Beach in that area. Equipment is being sent out and is on the ground there, and they remain in contact with the local leadership.
As for the situation on the ground in the Kamsack and Canora areas, Minister Weger said from his touring of the area Friday that people were helping remove furniture, carpet, and flooring.
"And in Kenora, for instance, there's actually a stockpile in the community that… you're seeing them driving their half-done trucks down to unload this damaged property in this location to later be hauled away and people making trips out to the transfer stations."
In Kamsack, Weger said the number they were provided from the town administrator was that "approximately 70 per cent of the basements had some sort of water damage, which is a very high number."
"So you can imagine everywhere you look, people are just trying to get cleaned up and they've got cleanup companies, shampoos, parked in their driveways and the doors are open and on their lawn is their damaged goods."
Them, as you drive through the RM, "it's just, you know, the amount of water flowing where water doesn't normally flow.
And… when you head south of Kamsack, it's almost as far as the eye can see in the valley, which they call the flats, it's all underwater. And you cross a bridge and the water's right at the bottom of the bridge and flowing through as fast as it can down that chain."
He also noted that in the Kamsack area the Assiniboine River has "swelled over its banks and across farmland and pasture."
Weger said that the homes are currently in cleanup mode, but "out in the country, the water's still flowing quite rapidly and they're just concerned that another Incident doesn't come along to drop another four inches in one blast or something and just overwhelm a network that is right at capacity."
