More than $186,700 will be provided to fund 12 municipal projects under the Mitigation and Preparedness Program (MPP) to prepare for future natural disasters across Manitoba.
When Manitoba establishes a Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program that is eligible for cost-sharing with Canada under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, municipalities can either pay the provincial/municipal DFA deductible, or opt in to the MPP.
Under the MPP, municipalities would receive 100 per cent of eligible DFA costs back from Manitoba, and are required to invest the amount that would have been the deductible into an approved disaster mitigation and preparedness project.
The MPP provides municipalities with the flexibility to use the deductible for a project of its choice that builds local resiliency to natural disasters, including the purchase of equipment, or the use of funds for a capital project. Municipalities also have the option to request placing funds in reserve until they select a project.
Municipalities eligible to apply were those affected by two DFA programs established in 2020. The 12 approved projects with DFA deductible amounts finalized include:
- Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson – $7,075.28 to twin and enlarge sewer pipes to eliminate a bottleneck preventing water from draining following heavy rain and causing sewer backups into houses;
- Rural Municipality of Emerson-Franklin – $20,632.15 to purchase sewer lift station generators that will provide backup power supply to ensure operations during power outages and other emergencies;
- Rural Municipality of North Cypress-Langford – $22,324.71 for investment in a reserve fund;
- Rural Municipality of Riverdale – $17,346.62 for the purchase of generators to power incident command posts, and purchase pump and hose for an alternative water source for livestock during drought and to remove water from homes in the event of mass flooding;
- Rural Municipality of Rossburn – $7,937.32 to purchase a generator for use at the municipal office and/or emergency operations centre in event of power outage;
- Rural Municipality of Minto-Odanah – $9,669.54 to construct water retention structure(s) to slow the flows of spring run-off or rain events;
- Rural Municipality of Montcalm – $10,237.50 for investment in a reserve fund;
- Rural Municipality of Oakview – $13,223.45 for the purchase of a backup generator and extra pumps for lift stations in Oak River and Rapid City to alleviate sewer backups;
- Rural Municipality of Rosedale – $13,597.54 to reconstruct a drain, build up the road and install culverts to improve drainage conditions and improve flood protection to Spring Hill Colony;
- Rural Municipality of Yellowhead – $7,289.07 for investment in a reserve fund;
- Town of Minnedosa – $19,916.49 for drainage ditch repair and installation of erosion control netting to strengthen and stabilize the ditch slopes, and increase capacity for future flood events; and
- Town of Neepawa – $37,482.69 for the relocation of parks shed and Mill Street lift station to alleviate risk of flooding.
For more information on the MPP, visit www.gov.mb.ca/mr/mfas/mpp.html.