Summary
We're still here, at least for half the time and part of the reason might well be that blizzard and subsequent flood. If I were to look for a defining moment when Winnipeg and Manitoba shook off the malaise that had afflicted them for decades, it would be the flood of 1997.
It may be a coincidence that defeatism began to change to "can-do" at the time of the flood, but I don't think so. The city and province faced a tremendous challenge and came through with flying colours. It was not just the physical challenge, the potential danger and the superhuman effort to build dikes, sandbag homes and evacuate communities, it was also overcoming the mental anguish that the flood brought.All that was overcome. The determination that rebuilt Grand Forks also affected Winnipeg and Manitoba. The flood was like a cold shower: a bracing wake-up call. The army, the emergency services and the people of the province responded to potential disaster with a determination that would bring a new-found confidence across the province. We are unlikely to be tested in that way this year, but if we are, we are more ready than we were 12 years ago. They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Manitobans came together in the Flood of the Century and haven't looked back.See the full content of this document
Extract
1997 Flood Changed City
The snow had started falling on Friday evening. On Saturday, I went out to run some errands. By the time I got back to my car I had trouble getting it out of its roadside parking spot. It would be the last time I was able to dr...
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