Article Index
History of Manitoba
1870 - 1950
1612 - 1869
13000 BC - 1600 AD
All Pages

2005 – 2010

Since the 1997 Red River Flood resulted in water levels that took the existing floodway to the limits of its capacity, various levels of government commissioned engineering studies for a major increase in flood protection for the City of Winnipeg. Work began in late 2005 under a provincial collective bargaining agreement and is slated to include modifications to rail and road crossings as well as transmission line spans, upgrades to inlet control structures and fire protection, increased elevation of existing dikes (including the Brunkild dike), and the widening of the entire floodway channel itself. Completion of the Red River Floodway Expansion is slated for late 2010 at a final cost of more than $665,000,000 CAD.

1997

The "Flood of the Century" caused over C$ 400 million in damages in Manitoba, but the floodway prevented Winnipeg from flooding.

1992

Broadcast Date: March 10, 1992 - Ottawa: Louis Riel a founder of Manitoba
More than 106 years after a Tory government hanged Riel for treason, Brian Mulroney's government says Canada has "matured as a nation." This calls for the official recognition of Riel's, "unique and historic role as a founder of Manitoba and his contribution in the development of Confederation."

1985

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that all of Manitoba's laws, written only in English, must be translated to French.

1979

The "Manitoba Act" which had declared French 1870 an official language of Manitoba got valid again by a judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada. It had been pried out by the changing governments of the province since 1890.

1972

Winnipeg and its suburbs merged into one city, making Winnipeg one of Canada's largest cities.

1962

Construction of the Floodway started on October 6, 1962 and finished in March 1968, was a major undertaking with 76.5 million cubic meters (2.75 billion cubic feet) of earth excavated—more than what was moved for the Suez Canal. At the time, the project was the second largest earth-moving project in the world – next only to the construction of the Panama Canal. The total cost at the time was $63 Million, CAD, a phenomenal sum in the 1960's.

1958

Dufferin Roblin became a prime minister of Manitoba in 1958. The government reintroduced French to school, carried out a welfare program, parks arose, roads were improved, the village schools were taken the place of by larger schools. Could be built Roblin a detour way for the torrents of water which proved to be important to the protection of Winnipeg around Winnipeg before the floods to protect the Red Rivers. The "Red River Floodway" is described as a "Duff's Ditch" certainly today.

1950

Winnipeg was inundated during the 1950 Red River Flood and had to be partially evacuated. In that year, the Red River reached its highest level since 1861 and flooded most of the Red River Valley.