FLOODS RECEDE IN WINNIPEG

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26120, 24 May 1950, Page 7

FLOODS RECEDE IN WINNIPEG

ENORMOUS TASK OF REHABILITATION OTTAWA. May 22. The flood-swollen Red river is now falling at the rate of inches to 2 inches a day. The flood control authorises in Winnipeg said to-dsy that they thought the peak of the danger had passed, but they warned against over-opti-mism or the return of evacuees. Ten million tons of water was estimated to be passing Winnipeg each hour, a 5 the three big flood lakes formed by the Red river in Southern Man toba drained and shrank in size. Winnipeg, as seen from the air today, was a picture of vast desola ion. Eighty thousand persons now homeless can begin moving back by midJune if the flood waters continue to fall as hoped. The movement wll be supervised by the Army. Build ngs will be cleaned and decontam nated before being placarded as fit for reentry. The restoration of the sewerage services and water supply will be given priority. The repair of roads, the removal of debris, and the pumping out of water-filled depressions will be a big task for the Army and civilian workers. There is no official estimate of the total damage, but guesses range up to 300 000.000 dollars. The rates for flood insurance in Winnipeg have been prohibitive for many years, and only a few householders were covered. The great work of repairing homes will be carried out with funds provided by the Manitoba Government’s Flood Relief Fund, to which people throughout Canada are being asked to subscribe.