Peguis First Nation is bracing for a potential severe flood event as the community works to protect homes from the rising Fisher River. With peak water flows anticipated between April 23 and April 28, 2026, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization has issued a statement of solidarity with Chief Dr. Stanley Bird and all community members during this ongoing crisis.
This is the second major flooding threat for the area in four years. The community is working to secure approximately 225 homes using a combination of sandbags, Tiger Dams, and clay dikes. To assist with the massive effort, hundreds of volunteers from across the country have arrived to help, including teams from Team Rubicon Canada and the Canadian Red Cross. Crews are currently racing to complete these defenses before the runoff begins.
Chief Dr. Stanley Bird noted that mandatory evacuations could begin as soon as this weekend, April 19-20, 2026. He expressed that the primary goal is to avoid the chaos and trauma that families and children face when the community is forced to leave their homes during these recurring emergency events. Many residents are still recovering from the devastating 2022 flood, which displaced over 1,000 people and left more than 540 individuals still unable to return to their homes as of this month.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew visited the community on April 16, 2026, to assist with sandbagging efforts and discuss long-term solutions. While federal and provincial governments have been in discussions regarding permanent flood protection, with potential construction possibly beginning as early as this summer, the community continues to face these threats annually. The province has already moved 50,000 sandbags to the area, though officials estimate that 1 million will be required to adequately protect all at-risk properties.
