City of Brandon Closes Public Access to Low-Lying Recreational Areas


April 4, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon’s Community Services Department wishes to advise that due to rising river levels, it has closed public access to Dinsdale Park and Queen Elizabeth Park situated along the Assiniboine River corridor, effective immediately.  Access to the pedestrian walking bridge located at the Riverbank Discovery Centre has also been impacted by the rising river. Barricades and signage are now in place, with public access prohibited until further notice.

The City of Brandon would like to take this opportunity to remind the community the river is a dangerous place to be during spring melt and cautions all residents to stay away from the river’s edge. Any member of the public who may be storing private property along the river’s edge is encouraged to find a safe way to remove it as soon as possible.

As of late this afternoon, the Assiniboine River level in Brandon was sitting at 1,173.93 feet above sea level, measured at First Street. The City of Brandon is still preparing for a peak level of 1,176.80 feet above sea level, measured at First Street, to arrive in Brandon sometime between April 10th and 17th.

As such, the City of Brandon is preparing for the crest’s arrival by sealing manholes, readying pumps, preparing to close outfalls, monitoring the situation, and staging in the event response crews have to plug the dike at the intersection of Grand Valley Road (Provincial Road #459). The City of Brandon does not anticipate any other road closures at this time; however, unfavourable weather conditions in the next several days do have the ability to change that.

An important reminder to the public that the City of Brandon’s earthen dike system now sits at an elevation of 1,186 feet above sea level, measured at First Street. This provides approximately 3 feet of free board above the highest level Brandon experienced during the summer flood of 2014.

As the City of Brandon awaits the river’s spring peak, morning and afternoon river level readings are being taken at First Street and will be published on the City of Brandon’s website here: http://intriverlevel.brandon.ca/. Updates to the City of Brandon’s spring melt situation will be also be published to the City of Brandon’s website as they become available.