June 5, 2012

FLOOD REVIEW PANELS LAUNCH PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS, INVITE INPUT FROM FLOOD-AFFECTED MANITOBANS
Manitobans affected by last years record flood are invited to share feedback and recommendations with two independent review bodies. The 2011 Manitoba Flood Review Task Force and the Lake Manitoba/Lake St. Martin Regulation Review Committee today launched public web sites and announced a series of opportunities for public participation, including surveys, online feedback tools and open houses across the flood-affected region. Last years flood had a devastating impact on thousands of Manitobans and the Task Force welcomes their input, said David Farlinger, the chair of the nine-member Task Force. "Over the next few months we will be undertaking a public consultation and review of the flood that will help to improve our capacity to respond to major flood events here in Manitoba." The two review bodies were appointed by the Province of Manitoba in February and are mandated to submit final reports with recommendations in the fall. Work to date has included data collection and analysis, technical presentations from hydrologists and engineers, and the scheduling and start of public consultation activities. Todays launch of the two public web sites marks the beginning of a second phase of work that will focus on public and stakeholder feedback and consultation. The web sites for each review body will serve as public hubs where flood-affected Manitobans and stakeholder groups can learn more about the review processes, provide feedback via online tools and find information about public open houses that will be held in a number of flood-affected communities. Apart from open public consultation, both the Flood Task Force and Regulation Review Committee will be conducting site visits and meetings, reviewing submissions from stakeholder organizations, First Nations and Municipalities and undertaking additional research. The 2011 Manitoba Flood Review Task Force and the Lake Manitoba/Lake St. Martin Regulation Review Committee will provide updates on their work via their respective web sites. Interested Manitobans can also sign up to receive regular updates via email. Technical presentations and stakeholder submissions will be made available as a public resource and can be viewed on the Regulation Review Committee web site. Last years flooding and May 31 , 2011 wind storm on Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin was unprecedented. Water levels reached historic and sustained highs causing widespread property damage, dislocating people from their homes, inundating farmland and affecting livelihoods. Many members of our review team are from flood-affected communities. Their families and neighbours have been displaced and suffered loss of both property and livelihood, said Harold Westdal, the chair of the Regulation Review Committee. We encourage all Manitobans impacted by the 2011 flood to share their experiences and thoughts with us. -30st