updated
Western Manitoba communities continue fighting floods after heavy rainfall
Posted July 5, 2026 3:05 pm.
Last Updated July 6, 2026 10:59 am.
A Manitoba city is bracing for floods while a town in the same region is recovering from the aftermath of a recent deluge of rain.
The City of Brandon says it has declared a state of local emergency because its largest waterway, the Assiniboine River, is forecast to rise in the coming days, with peak flows expected later this month.
Mayor Jeff Fawcett said the declaration allows the city, located west of Winnipeg, to take proactive flood-protection measures.
Meanwhile, Swan River, a town also in western Manitoba, said it continues to recover from a massive flood Wednesday that forced the residents of roughly 200 households to flee.
The town said in a social media post on Saturday that river levels have gone down since rainfall hammered the province last week, and residents have returned and started cleaning up their homes.
“While residents may now return to their homes, significant hazards remain throughout the affected areas,” the post said.
Last week’s rainfall also closed more than 60 highways in the province.
The province’s 511 website showed multiple roads were still closed as of Sunday.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski has said Ottawa will help cleanup efforts in western Manitoba by deploying a small team of Canadian Armed Forces members.
She said it will also deploy Team Rubicon Canada, a veteran-led disaster response group.
Her office did not immediately respond to a request for an update on the deployment on Sunday.
