WINNIPEG – A $600-million flood prevention project in Manitoba is now under review and the provincial government has no timeline for starting construction.
The province has asked the federal government to pause an environmental assessment of the project to allow for more consultation with First Nations communities in the area.
Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor says the former Progressive Conservative government failed to properly consult the communities, and the NDP government is going to do so.
The project would see two channels constructed to drain high water from Lake Manitoba into Lake St. Martin then into Lake Winnipeg.
A federal assessment report in June said the project would have significant impact on Indigenous land use.
The project has been talked about for more than a decade, after severe flooding forced thousands from their homes.
The Progressive Conservatives, now in Opposition, say they did consult First Nations and the project is needed to prevent another disaster.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
