Ice-Jams and the Flood in Manitoba - Do we need hovercraft ice-breakers?
This year the ice conditions in Manitoba have been exceptional, and problems with ice-jams have been much worse than usual.
In mid-March, I was in Selkirk speaking to local residents. they raised with me their concerns about the difficult ice conditions and they expressed much interest in the need for and in the possibility of using hovercraft ice-breakers to address the critical situation we have this year along the Red River.
On March 26th, I raised this issue in the Manitoba Legislature: "Mr. Speaker, I share with others in the Manitoba Legislature the concern about the effects of the ice jam on people north of Winnipeg, in the Lockport area. This is clearly a serious situation.
Last week, Mr. Speaker, I was in Selkirk to meet with residents who were very concerned about the adequacy of provincial measures to deal with ice jams north of Winnipeg. The residents were very specific. They expressed concern that the Amphibex was not sufficient in dealing with ice jams like this and that the measures taken by the Province were not adequate. They felt that their Province should have, in fact, brought in Hovercraft that they have used in Québec, the St. Lawrence and others, and as have been used in the rivers in Illinois, because they can be used effectively in the cases of ice jams.
So I would ask the Province to take a serious look at the use of Hovercraft in the future because, clearly, the extent of ice jamming can't be prevented by the measures that have been taken this year."
Two days later in Ottawa, Liberal MP Mark Holland asked in the House of Commons the following question:
Mr. Mark Holland (Ajax—Pickering, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, as the Red River rises, the most immediate threat to Manitobans come from ice jams that cause devastating floods. Many homes have been evacuated and many more are under threat.
At a time when Manitobans desperately need strong federal assistance, the government's back seat approach is failing them.
Why is the government failing to take a leadership role in protecting the lives, homes and businesses that are under threat of being washed away? As an example, why has the government failed to deploy hovercraft, which are far more effective at breaking ice jams? They were used in Quebec. Why are they missing in action in Manitoba?
There are many articles talking about the effectiveness of hovercraft ice-breakers. They are widely used elsewhere. Why are they not being used in Manitoba?
Here are several references to articles on hovercraft-ice breakers.
http://www.lycos.com/info/icebreakers.html?page=3
http://ntlsearch.bts.gov/tris/search.do?new=&b1=9&f1=sw&t1=Icebreaking+hovercraft&d=tr
There is even a hovercraft ice-breaker which might be available - see:
http://www.canada.com/Canadian+Coast+Guard+hovercraft+coming+from+England/1340168/story.html
For more details of the research on hovercraft ice-breakers see:
/hovercraft%20research.pdf
In mid-March, I was in Selkirk speaking to local residents. they raised with me their concerns about the difficult ice conditions and they expressed much interest in the need for and in the possibility of using hovercraft ice-breakers to address the critical situation we have this year along the Red River.
On March 26th, I raised this issue in the Manitoba Legislature: "Mr. Speaker, I share with others in the Manitoba Legislature the concern about the effects of the ice jam on people north of Winnipeg, in the Lockport area. This is clearly a serious situation.
Last week, Mr. Speaker, I was in Selkirk to meet with residents who were very concerned about the adequacy of provincial measures to deal with ice jams north of Winnipeg. The residents were very specific. They expressed concern that the Amphibex was not sufficient in dealing with ice jams like this and that the measures taken by the Province were not adequate. They felt that their Province should have, in fact, brought in Hovercraft that they have used in Québec, the St. Lawrence and others, and as have been used in the rivers in Illinois, because they can be used effectively in the cases of ice jams.
So I would ask the Province to take a serious look at the use of Hovercraft in the future because, clearly, the extent of ice jamming can't be prevented by the measures that have been taken this year."
Two days later in Ottawa, Liberal MP Mark Holland asked in the House of Commons the following question:
Mr. Mark Holland (Ajax—Pickering, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, as the Red River rises, the most immediate threat to Manitobans come from ice jams that cause devastating floods. Many homes have been evacuated and many more are under threat.
At a time when Manitobans desperately need strong federal assistance, the government's back seat approach is failing them.
Why is the government failing to take a leadership role in protecting the lives, homes and businesses that are under threat of being washed away? As an example, why has the government failed to deploy hovercraft, which are far more effective at breaking ice jams? They were used in Quebec. Why are they missing in action in Manitoba?
There are many articles talking about the effectiveness of hovercraft ice-breakers. They are widely used elsewhere. Why are they not being used in Manitoba?
Here are several references to articles on hovercraft-ice breakers.
http://www.lycos.com/info/icebreakers.html?page=3
http://ntlsearch.bts.gov/tris/search.do?new=&b1=9&f1=sw&t1=Icebreaking+hovercraft&d=tr
There is even a hovercraft ice-breaker which might be available - see:
http://www.canada.com/Canadian+Coast+Guard+hovercraft+coming+from+England/1340168/story.html
For more details of the research on hovercraft ice-breakers see:
/hovercraft%20research.pdf
Photos above show the ice behind the St. Mary's Road bridge near the Floodway entrance (top), and ice at the exit or spillway where the floodway returns the water to the Red River (bottom). Both photos were taken April 7 during a tour of the Red River.
posted by Jon Gerrard @ 9.4.09
<< Home