RM of Morris needs provincial funding for debris caused by windstorm last month
Posted June 3, 2026 5:12 pm.
Last Updated June 4, 2026 10:32 am.
The Rural Municipality of Moris is trying to keep its head above water. The community is dealing with the aftermath of a severe windstorm that caused a buildup of debris blocking drainage in ditches and culverts, which in turn has caused a dire flooding issue, so much so that the RM has issued a local state of emergency.
“This is something where time is of the essence,” said Scott Siemens, the Reeve of the RM of Morris.
Siemens says 200 active sites have been found, roughly 300 miles worth of ditch drains that need to be cleaned out.
“The impact is exactly what just happened last night, where throughout the municipality, were anywhere from one to three inches of rain is what we’ve heard, and I’ve talked to a few farmers this morning, and yes, the ditches are full because they can’t drain, and that’s where our emergency comes in,” Siemens explained.
As of now, the municipality’s council has allocated $500,000 for cleanup. Three hired contractors along with the RM’s two excavators have been working to clean the drainage for 10 days, but much more needs to be done, and Sieman’s says they’ve asked for funding help from the province.
“We are looking at approximately $1.5 million just to clean our ditches and re-gravel roads; it may be closer to two when it’s all said and done.”
A statement from the province reads, “We are in contact with municipalities affected by the recent extreme weather events and can confirm we received a request from the RM of Morris that we are currently reviewing. We will continue to keep lines of communication open and monitor the situation closely as it evolves and ensure the municipalities and all Manitobans impacted are safe and supported.”
For Siemens and the whole municipality, the funding can’t come soon enough.
“Well, that will then flood out the crops, and then the crops will die, and that will greatly affect the yield and the productivity and the farmers’ ability to pay their bills, and for our municipality it’s approximately 80 per cent of our assessment, and by that our revenue is from farmland, so there’s a huge impact locally,” said Siemens.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated $300,000 had been allocated for cleanup. It’s actually $500,000.
