'Brings things to a halt': Manitoba's Duck Mountain sees May Long standstill
For those looking to hop the border into Manitoba for their camping seasons, it started off on the wrong foot for Duck Mountain Provincial Park.
With the May Long weekend now come and gone, many parks inside Saskatchewan had a cleanup, at Manitoba’s Duck Mountain Provincial Park, the clean-up was a bit different. Torrential rainfalls, coupled with already soggy conditions thanks to late snowstorms made many roads totally impassable for visitors to the park.
Arch Dowsett has lived in the park for the past 20 years and said he has never seen it this bad for road washouts and the loss of access in and out of the provincial park.
“Nothing up here like this and I've talked to other locals down low, like [farmers] and they can't recall anything like this with so many roads going out,” he explained.
Dowsett showed CTV News three spots where the water had taken either a big bite out of a pre-existing road or washed it out totally, along with the adjourning culverts. Areas like Baldy Mountain are inaccessible to someone in a vehicle and the repairs won’t be done overnight.
Manitoba Highways said at times all access points in and out of the park were closed due to full washouts or water coming over and across roads. The lodges who spoke to CTV News said a vast majority of their visitors are from Saskatchewan, but “May Long” brought the entire local economy to a halt thanks to the rainfall.
“It's not advised to be traveling in into the Duck Mountain Provincial Park at this time a number of the roads even though they are open are down to one lane and sections of them have been washed out and/or closed,” Tara Liske, executive director of Highway Regional Operations said.
Liske added this was an “extreme” event for the area, with many roads expected to be passable by Friday. For some of the areas in more severe shape, Liske said it could take weeks or even months before everything is repaired.
For Dowsett, he said even a week or two will do a lot of damage for the local economy.
“Pretty well brings things to a halt here at the moment,” he said. “With campgrounds being shut down and just, the season is short enough and then you start losing a couple of weeks you know here and there — who knows what's next?”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.