Ice Wall Damages Homes and Cottages in Twin Lakes Beach, Manitoba
A natural phenomenon has left a community northwest of Winnipeg with the daunting task of repairing damaged homes and cottages. According to Richard Chartrand, reeve of the Rural Municipality (RM) of St. Laurent, an ice wall on Lake Manitoba was pushed towards Twin Lakes Beach by strong northwestern winds over the weekend.
“The wind was quite strong for two days prior. It was constant,” Chartrand said. “The ice built up and it impacted on a few boathouses there, (and) a couple of cottages had damage… At least four decks that people built onto their cottages had been lifted up as well.”
Chartrand learned about the ice wall through a text message from one of the RM’s councillors who resides in the area. The emergency coordinator was also present to assess the situation and the extent of the damage.
Alice Dent, a resident of Twin Lakes Beach since 1968, expressed that while ice walls are not a yearly occurrence, they are a dreaded springtime phenomenon.
“Once it gets going, you just can’t stop it. It just keeps coming,” she said. “You can’t do anything other than pray for the wind to die down, and go from there.”
Dent expressed gratitude for not being among those directly affected by the ice wall, but acknowledged the devastation it caused for others.
“I just feel for these people. It’s scary,” she said, noting that the damage could have been far worse if the lake’s water levels had been higher.
One of the primary concerns for impacted residents is the lack of insurance coverage, as stated by both Dent and Chartrand.
“They’re going to have to foot the bill out of pocket. It’s not something that the municipality can assist them with in the form of a (disaster financial assistance) claim or anything like that. It’s pretty well their responsibility,” the reeve said.
Chartrand emphasized that most residents are aware of the potential for ice wall damage.
“This is something that is not always an annual occurrence, but it is a regular occurrence,” he said.
The RM will provide assistance as needed, and those requiring support can contact them at 204-646-2259. While waiting for the situation to improve, there is little that can be done.
“Things will go back to normal again depending on the temperatures, of course. But it looks promising that this ice will melt quickly now, and all we can hope for is that the winds don’t pick up. But I think the lake is pretty open now, so it should be OK,” Dent said.
“Famous last words.”
Chartrand mentioned that the community anticipates more wind in the coming week. Looking ahead, he expressed concerns about climate change, especially in light of a recent marsh fire in the area.
“We’re looking at both sides of the road. One side you have drought, the other side you have ice,” he said.
In 2011, Twin Lakes Beach was severely impacted by a flood on Lake Manitoba, which also affected other communities and cost the province of Manitoba over $1 billion.
