Kingston Row and Crescent Residents Dig Deep

Check out an aerial view of this flood risk area!

Residents of Kingston Row and Kingston Crescent had their work cut out for them over the weekend as thousands of sandbags were delivered and used to build a perimeter dike to protect this peninsula on the Red River in Winnipeg.

The photo above clearly shows what the residents of Kingston Row and Kingston Crescent are up against. The Red River, already creating massive destruction in Grand Forks, is proceeding north to Manitoba. River levels are mere feet below the tops of existing dikes while the river has yet to reach expected flood stages. There is very little freeboard remaining in the dikes. While most of the City of Winnipeg will be spared the threat of flooding thanks to the Winnipeg Floodway, there are areas within the City of Winnipeg that are at risk along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers.

As the Red rises, concerns about the travel of ice floes is also a concern for structures along the river. One such structure familiar to anyone who has lived in Winnipeg is the Elm Street Bridge located next to the famous Bridge Drive In Ice Cream store.

City of Winnipeg Engineers have deemed the bridge unsafe due to the fact that structural repairs to the bridge piers have not yet been completed. Repairs began last year, however the final phase of repairs is scheduled for this summer. Without the completed structural restorations, the bridge is at risk of tipping over under the force of expected ice floes.

Residents and Helpful Citizens
The Kingston Row area was swamped with sandbagging volunteers arriving by carload and busload over the weekend. Those arriving by car had quite a challenge finding a place to park their vehicles. Traffic was tightly controlled within the residential area to allow for incoming busloads of sandbaggers and the much needed truckloads of fresh sandbags provided by the City of Winnipeg.

There was a flurry of activity in this normally quiet neighbourhood. People clogged the front streets to make their way to residential locations requiring sandbagging musclepower. Anxious homeowners were heard to yell out "Help is needed here please" as volunteers strolled the neighbourhood looking for a first stop to lend a hand. Kids played in the central playground while their parents and bigger brothers and sisters did the sandbagging for them. The atmosphere in this area was something to behold. In a time when most of the media focuses on the bad news in Winnipeg, the City has once again displayed its true colours in rushing to the aid of fellow citizens in need.

Salvation Army Mobile Units were in place throughout the City to assist in nourishing hungry sandbaggers. The Salvation Army dispatched personnel as far away as Vancouver to assist in the Flood Effort.

Please remember: Many of the images you will see contain the homes of people who have been uprooted from their families, homes, and livelihoods. They need your help NOW. Please contact your LOCAL RED CROSS and tell them you wish to donate to the FUND FOR MANITOBA FLOOD RELIEF......THANK YOU FOR YOUR CARING SUPPORT!

Please watch this space for additional updates. We will be bringing you more stories in the days ahead.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have stories and photos you can share with us. We'll get them on this site immediately upon receiving them. You can also telephone us to contribute your flood stories by calling our flood info hotline at 992-2203.