About two dozen local disaster mitigation and preparedness projects have been approved under the province's MPP program.

"Our government is committed to supporting not only the post-disaster recovery needs of municipalities, but also their capacity to prepare for future events," said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk. "This innovative initiative, delivered through the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization, offers an important opportunity for municipalities to build local resiliency against natural disasters, extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change."

First introduced in 2020, the MPP opens when a disaster financial assistance (DFA) program is established for a natural disaster and the cost of the DFA program is sufficient to be eligible for federal cost-sharing arrangements.

The majority of municipalities with a claim under the 2022 Spring Flood DFA program also applied for MPP project funding, which enables municipalities to invest municipal DFA deductibles into an approved mitigation or preparedness project. Up to a maximum of $2.6 million in municipal DFA deductibles will now be used by municipalities to undertake these 89 local projects.

The MPP provides municipalities with flexibility to use deductibles for a project of their choice that builds local resiliency to natural disasters including the purchase of equipment or use of funds for a capital project. Municipalities also have the option to place funds in reserve until a project is selected.

Projects in our region include:

  • Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie: up to a maximum of $58,306.92 for a reserve fund;
  • Rural Municipality of Woodlands: up to a maximum of $32,141.61 for a drainage improvement feasibility study for the town of Warren;
  • Rural Municipality of West Interlake: up to a maximum of $18,860.02 for a reserve fund;
  • Rural Municipality of Grey: up to a maximum of $21,306.41 for a reserve fund;
  • Town of Teulon: up to a maximum of $10,124.14 for emergency operations centre equipment, safety equipment, tractor pumps and hoses and training;
  • Rural Municipality of Dufferin: up to a maximum of $21,526.50 to rip rap culverts;
  • Rural Municipality of Grahamdale: up to a maximum of $10,818.27 for 3.5 miles of road survey for initial flood mitigation strategy development;
  • Rural Municipality of St. Francois Xavier: up to a maximum of $12,265.79 for culvert/drain upgrades in high-risk areas;
  • Municipality of Norfolk Treherne: up to a maximum of $14,983.05 for the Alberni flood prevention project;
  • Municipality of Glenboro-South Cypress: up to a maximum of $9,506.20 for an alarm system for the lift station and lagoon;
  • Rural Municipality of Coldwell: up to a maximum of $11,114.55 for drainage upgrades;
  • Rural Municipality of Gimli: up to a maximum of $55,606.59 for larger capacity pumps;
  • Municipality of North Norfolk: up to a maximum of $33,140.48 for a reserve fund;
  • Municipality of Rockwood: up to a maximum of $71,444.60 for the purchase of pumps, undertaking road improvements, and completing road 88N ditching project;
  • Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton: up to a maximum of $28,103.80 for pumps and a pump trailer;
  • Municipality of Glenella-Lansdowne: up to a maximum of $9,590.85 for a reserve fund;
  • Rural Municipality of Cartier: up to a maximum of $28,306.96 for a reserve fund for a generator;
  • Rural Municipality of St. Laurent: up to a maximum of $13,053.03 for a reserve fund;
  • Town of Arborg: up to a maximum of $10,826.74 for the purchase of flood tubes.

"The Mitigation and Preparedness Program that the provincial government has put forward certainly allows for municipalities to help build resiliency in their infrastructure and protect themselves against possible future disasters," explains Association of Manitoba Municipalities president Kam Blight. "We certainly commend the province of Manitoba for reinvesting these monies into the approved projects in municipalities."

He notes AMM also commends the municipalities for taking the initiative to build that resiliency and protect themselves from potential disasters once again going forward, or at least lower the impact of these extreme events that they may be facing. 

"This is a new program that was just announced in 2020," adds Blight. "Anytime a disaster financial assistance program is announced, there's the opportunity for municipalities to reinvest their deductible back into a certain reserve fund to be used through projects such as this, to help protect and prepare themselves for the next event."

Blight says it's a significant investment by the province of Manitoba reinvesting into municipalities and notes the AMM certainly appreciates this initiative and also the fact that municipalities have taken advantage of it. 

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