Hon. Frank Pitura (Minister of Government Services): Madam Speaker, I was wondering if we could revert to Ministerial Statements and Tabling of Reports.

Madam Speaker: Yes, most certainly. Does the honourable minister have leave to revert to Ministerial Statements and Tabling of Reports? [agreed]

Mr. Pitura: I was wondering if I might have leave to share a progress report on the flooding situation in Manitoba with all honourable members here today.

Madam Speaker: Just for clarification, is it a report and a ministerial statement?

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Mr. Pitura: Sorry, Madam Speaker, it is strictly an update on the flood. It is not specifically a written report.

I would just like to share with all honourable members here today an update on our flood emergency response as of this morning.

Manitoba Natural Resources has released maps of the anticipated flood zone for the 1997 Red River flood. The additional height of water is expected to flood a much larger area than the 1979 and 1996 floods.

Mr. Steve Ashton (Opposition House Leader): Madam Speaker, my apologies to the minister, but I think it should be clarified at the beginning that there has been an agreement, given the nature of the situation and often late-breaking information, that the normal requirement that copies of the statement be made available has been waived. We are quite agreeable for any time during the flood that if the minister wishes to make a statement at 1:30, it can be done without a printed statement.

Madam Speaker: I thank the honourable opposition House leader for that instruction.

Mr. Pitura: I would also like to convey my thanks to the honourable members opposite for that concession.

As I was indicating, Madam Speaker, the height and extending of flooding is expected to cause widespread problems for all local authorities in the Red River Valley.

In regard to states of emergency, in addition to the provincial declaration of emergency on April 22, the following communities have declared states of local emergency: the Town of Emerson on April 20, the R.M. of Franklin and Montcalm on the 21st, the Village of St. Pierre Jolys on the 22nd, the R.M. of Macdonald on the 22nd of April, the R.M. of Morris on April 19, R.M. of Ste. Anne on April 20 and the R.M. of Taché on April 21. It is anticipated that the City of Winnipeg and other jurisdictions in the flood areas will be either declaring states of local emergency today or in the couple of days henceforth.

In regard to evacuations, several communities have already issued evacuation orders or have recommended voluntary evacuations for residents. In addition, due to the increase in the flow rates of the Red River and the potential for the isolation of communities and homes within the Red River Valley, Manitoba Emergency Management Organization has formally and strongly recommended that local authorities commence the mandatory evacuation of areas within the predicted 1997 flood area.

The communities affected: Emerson with a population of 721 has a mandatory status on their evacuation, and they are supposed to be evacuated by the 22nd of April, which was yesterday I believe.

The R.M. of Montcalm, Letellier, and St. Jean Baptiste, total population of 1,606. They have a recommended mandatory evacuation, which is to be completed on April 24.

The R.M. of Franklin, particularly Dominion City, and Dominion City--population is 1,651--are under a mandatory evacuation order, and that was supposed to have been accomplished yesterday.

De Salaberry, with a population of 2,985. They have been recommending a mandatory evacuation, and that is to be finalized on April 24.

St. Pierre Jolys, population of 907, is a limited evacuation at this present time.

The R.M. of Rhineland has a recommended mandatory evacuation to be completed on April 24.

The Town of Morris, population of 1,616, has a recommended mandatory evacuation order to be completed on April 24, as well as the R.M. of Morris with a population of 2,865.

The R.M. of Ritchot and St. Adolphe, Ste. Agathe, with a population of 5,146. There is a recommended mandatory evacuation to be completed April 25. Roseau River First Nations, population of 900. It is a voluntary evacuation in place right now, and they are hoping to have that in effect today and tomorrow.

In the city of Winnipeg, they have a limited evacuation right at the present time.

Madam Speaker, it is anticipated that many evacuees will be housed with family and friends.

With regard to emergency response operations, the armed forces: Armed forces personnel have been deployed to Emerson, 130 troops there, 110 troops at Ritchot, 65 troops at St. Jean Baptiste, 50 to Rosenort to help fill sandbags and construct dikes. Fifty-five regulars are ready for deployment, and 30 to 80 reserves are being prepared for deployment. In addition, 300 more troops are arriving in Shilo this morning and ready to be deployed in a matter of hours. Thirty-one water search and rescue personnel are arriving from Edmonton and 150 with the engineering regiment on April 25 to assist with the evacuation and security of communities. The 17th Wing will host up to 1,000 evacuees.

In agriculture, Manitoba Agriculture and the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, PFRA, are co-ordinating the relocation of livestock from farms that are now at risk from flooding. I am advised that the Manitoba Agriculture staff and the PFRA staff worked most of the night last night, and they are considered to be doing a very tremendous job out there.

Canada Post is adjusting postal deliveries to accommodate the needs of the evacuees.

With regard to Natural Resources, of course they are operating the floodway. They are closing off ring dikes. They are acquiring additional sandbags for communities. They are monitoring the flood levels and forecasting and operating the flood liaison offices.

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At Highways and Transportation, they are maintaining road access to communities, and they are closing roads as necessary.

Emergency social services: Provincial emergency social services have opened their emergency operation centre and have established reception and accommodation facilities in a number of communities sufficient to accommodate the total evacuated population of the Red River Valley.

With regard to amateur radio, the amateur radio emergency service has established a network in communities within the flood area to provide backup and supplementary communications system. This service is proving to be invaluable as normal telephone and cellular systems are regularly becoming overloaded.

I am advised also that the Department of Rural Development is making arrangements to send staff from its department and other communities outside the flood zone to provide support staff to communities whose own staff are nearing exhaustion. These would be primarily the administration officers for R.M. offices that do backup to the present ones.

Emergency health services are co-ordinating the evacuation of personal care homes and hospitals in the flood area. This, I am advised, already has happened.

The Manitoba Emergency Management Organization is staffing the provincial emergency co-ordination centre on a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week basis to provide co-ordination of provincial response. MEMO community advisers are in the flood area providing advice and assistance to local authorities.

This is the update for today, Madam Speaker. Thank you.

Mr. Stan Struthers (Dauphin): Madam Speaker, on behalf of this side of the House, I want to thank the minister for bringing that update to the House and commend him on his efforts to keep us apprised of the terrible circumstances that are unfolding in the Red River Valley and in the city of Winnipeg. We very much appreciate the opportunity to be part of the solution.

I want to begin also by expressing our condolences on this side of the House for the two victims who have fallen to the disaster that we are facing. I want to express our condolences to the families of the two young boys who have perished in this flood of 1997.

I also wish to express our deep appreciation to the volunteers on so many fronts, within the city and all along the Red River and including Selkirk and south of Winnipeg, who have been working in preparation to alleviate the disaster that is impending.

I want to pay particular attention as well to those who are helping right now in the evacuation of people from our towns along the Red River. No doubt there will be a lot of anxiety felt by the people who live in the communities that are under mandatory evacuation orders and a lot of trepidation as they leave their premises behind, open to the ravages of Mother Nature.

I understand that the towns that are being evacuated are being evacuated because they would be isolated from the rest of the province and that the armed forces and others are skilled in going and protecting the houses and businesses of people of the communities that are being evacuated. For that we are grateful.

The other folks that I think should be paid their due are the people who are receiving evacuees from our communities, whether they be in other rural towns or in the city of Winnipeg itself.

I think, as well, we need to point out the valiant efforts of the farm community in the Red River Valley, the moves that were made to store and haul grain out of the flood-prone areas and livestock so that we do not see the kinds of happenings that took place earlier to our southern neighbours in Minnesota and south, and also that way getting around the problems that face us with so many dead animals as a result of the flood.

The other thing that we should point out too are the problems down the road in terms of farmers who are hoping at some point to get on the land and do some seeding. Again, they may be faced, as they were last year, with delays, most certainly they will be faced with delays. At the same time, I think we should all acknowledge the resiliency of our farm community in bouncing back last year, and I am sure, with the co-operation of those of us in this House and others who are volunteering to battle this emergency, that again our farm community will see their way through the impending dangers that are out there.

With that, I want to again pledge on behalf of this side of the House our co-operation in fighting the flood that is on its way. I want to make it absolutely clear that our hearts on this side go to the folks who are in the trenches out there who are putting up with the record-high levels of water, and that those of us on this side will do everything that we can as well to try to ease the pain for these people and help out as much as we can. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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