Standing with flood affected communities in Manitoba

I travelled to Dauphin, Swan River, and the Municipality of Swan Valley West to stand with the communities facing the impact of devastating flooding — and to hear directly from the leaders carrying their communities through it.

In Dauphin, I met with Mayor David Bosiak, City Manager Sharla Griffiths, and the Manitoba Incident Management Team at the Unified Command Centre. The scale of coordination required to manage a flood emergency of this size was evident — and the professionalism of everyone at that table was remarkable.

In Swan River, Mayor Lance Jacobson and Councillor Tanya Powell walked me through the impacted neighbourhoods, Legion Park, and the Veterans Community Hall — where local services have been brought together to support residents who have been displaced or affected. Standing in those neighbourhoods and seeing the waterline marks on people’s homes made the crisis real in a way that no briefing note can.

In Swan Valley West, Reeve Bill Gade, Deputy Reeve Brian Burick, Councillor Terry Neely, and CAO Kristi Ronnquist shared the full scale of the challenges their community is facing. These are elected leaders doing everything they can for their residents with the resources available to them.

My heart goes out to everyone affected. I want to acknowledge the tireless work of the first responders, CAF members, Team Rubicon, the Manitoba Disaster Response Team, and the Mennonite community members who have been preparing and donating meals for those in need. That kind of community solidarity — people showing up for strangers — is what Manitoba has always been.

The federal government has a role to play in flood emergency support, in recovery funding, and in the long-term infrastructure investments that reduce the risk of these events recurring. I am committed to making sure that role is fulfilled — not just during the crisis, but through every stage of recovery.