St. Clements invests in $16K sandbag machine

St. Clements flood preparation was in full swing on Friday.

Crews recently installed a Hesco barrier filled with gravel about 50 metres from the bank of the Red River.

Ken Sim is the director of protective services for St. Clements. He said the town needs to be prepared early.

"Its one of those situations where it can happen very quickly," said Sim.

Just two years ago, several homes in the town were flooded when Red River waters breached dikes.

Now, the town is taking as many precautions as possible.

Ice breakers have already been through the area to crush about 30 kilometres of ice.

Residents are also doing what they can.

"If theyre in areas or their homes have historically been threatened by high water or whether it be overland from the creeks and streams, we offer sandbags to those individuals," said Sim.

Previously it took volunteer man-power to assemble the sandbags, but this year the town opted to purchase a $16,000 sandbag machine.

Jim Stinson was the emergency coordinator for St. Clements for nearly nine years. Now he works for The Sand Masters, which sells sandbagging machines.

He said the machines fill 20 bags in about 90 seconds. An investment town officials now hope will protect the town when the waters rise.

The Province of Manitoba will release its updated flood forecast on Monday.