The Red River Valley becomes picturesque as summer gives way to fall in Manitoba.
A tall cordon of trees meanders along the banks of the Red River, a backdrop for the mosaic of fields that stretch east and west.
But there are telltale signs that life in the valley is not always tranquil.
Many rural homes and farm buildings are perched atop large mounds of earth, a defence against future flooding in the valley. The elevated yards are a reminder of the risk the Red River poses.
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Herm Martens was among those forced to heighten the dike around his farm buildings when the river crept over its embankments two years ago. He is also reeve for the Rural Municipality of Morris, one of the areas besieged by the flood.
Now a candidate for Manitoba’s Liberal party, Martens points to the flood of 1997 as one reason he entered the provincial election. He’s critical of the way Manitoba’s Conservative government behaved during and after the disaster.
Martens said the government showed a lack of planning in its reaction to the flood. And he viewed the Tories as confrontational in their dealings with Ottawa, which also extended support to the region under siege.
“There was never a sense of co-operation, always a sense of conflict.”
Martens suggested the Tory government did not treat everyone equally when arranging disaster compensation after the flood. He said lucrative compensation packages went to “a chosen few.”
More than two years after the flood swept through the region, communities that were caught in the flood’s path remain vulnerable, he said. Seventeen communities need permanent ring dikes, but construction has started on only one of those.
“Our provincial government is just sitting there and not moving on it.”
Tory incumbent Frank Pitura, a former farmer and agricultural representative, thinks his party did all it could for affected farms and communities. The flood was the worst seen in more than 150 years.
Anyone who believes the province could have covered all bases when preparing for such a disaster is “in dreamland,” he said.
The disaster aid paid to flood victims was cost-shared between the province and Ottawa, said Pitura. A policy agreed to by both levels of government dictates how the money is spent, he said.
“If he (Martens) is criticizing that agreement, then he’s also criticizing his colleagues in Ottawa.”
As for construction of more community ring dikes, Pitura said the province was awaiting a commitment of funds from Ottawa. He said the funding now is in place to begin tendering more projects.
Four candidates are seeking election in the Morris riding. Paul Hagen, a retired civil servant, represents the New Democrats, while Dennis Rice represents the Libertarian Party of Manitoba.
Hagen said health and education are issues in the Morris riding, as they are in other parts of Manitoba. But he agreed that “a great deal” of flood victims still resent how the Tory government treated them.
Property taxes also are an issue, Hagen said. He believes taxes should be based on a person’s income and ability to pay, rather than on the assessed value of their property. The current system can create a burden for seniors and others living on a fixed income.
Pitura said voters are telling him that road maintenance is a concern. Rail-line abandonment, combined with the demise of the Crow Benefit subsidy, have triggered a greater amount of truck traffic.
Pitura wants a national highways program in place where roads important to international trade are rebuilt and maintained with federal dollars. That would lessen the burden on Manitoba, he said, freeing up money to be spent on provincial and municipal roads.
While Pitura spoke about what his party would do if re-elected, Martens chastised the Tories’ track record.
The Liberal candidate said the Conservatives lack sound planning, something that he considers evident in the way they handled health care. After years of cuts to health care, the Tories chose an election year to announce plans for more spending in that area, Martens said.
“They seem to be running day to day.”
