Photo: Flooding in Canora.
By: Andrea Moss
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
SaskToday.ca
The Town of Canora remains under a local state of emergency after severe rainfall caused widespread flooding concerns and placed significant strain on municipal infrastructure.
Canora declared the state of emergency on June 30 at 10:21 a.m., according to community development officer Brandi Zavislak. While some of the community’s hardest-hit areas have stabilized as water levels recede, municipal crews continue to battle new challenges emerging across town.
“As much as several properties have seen the water go down, some of those hotspots where the devastation happened very early on have things under control now,” Zavislak said. “But we have other areas dealing with sewage backup on the completely opposite end of town.”
One of the most pressing concerns is the town’s sewer lift station system, which has become overwhelmed by the excessive amount of water entering the network. To help manage the situation, vacuum trucks have been brought in to assist municipal crews and relieve pressure on the system.
“Our lift station has not quit working,” said Zavislak. “It is simply overwhelmed.”
Under normal conditions, Canora’s sewer lift stations typically operate for approximately four hours per day. Since the heavy rainfall, however, the system has been running continuously around the clock.
“Currently, our lifts are running non-stop every day, 24/7, with staff monitoring everything,” she said. “It’s been very challenging.”
The situation is not unique to Canora. Communities across east-central Saskatchewan, including Kamsack, Norquay and Buchanan, have reported similar issues as record rainfall has overwhelmed drainage and wastewater infrastructure.
Canora faced a comparable flooding event in 2010, which led to significant investments in upgraded sewer lift stations. Zavislak noted that the town spent considerable resources engineering and improving the facilities following that event, but the extraordinary volume of water currently affecting the region has pushed systems beyond their normal operating capacity.
With residents dealing with flooded properties and water-related damage, town officials are encouraging people to carefully document any losses and contact their insurance providers as soon as possible.
The declaration of a state of emergency is intended in part to help residents who do not have insurance coverage access potential assistance through Saskatchewan’s Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP).
“For those that don’t have insurance, that is why we declared a state of emergency, for our residents to be able to utilize the funding available,” Zavislak said.
The town has also issued a water usage advisory, asking residents to conserve water wherever possible to reduce additional strain on the sewer system.
“What that means is try and be very mindful of your water usage,” Zavislak said.
Municipal staff continue to monitor conditions closely as cleanup and recovery efforts remain underway. Officials are urging residents to stay informed through town updates and follow any advisories as the community works through the ongoing impacts of the flooding.
Road washed out by Canora
Flooding in Canora.