Swan River's Long Road Home

Municipal Affairs
12 minutes ago
2 min read

If you've been following the news this week, you've seen the images: roads washed away, neighbourhoods underwater, and families forced to leave their homes with little more than the essentials.

For the people of Swan River, this isn't just another flood. It's their second major flood in less than a month.

The water is finally starting to go down, but very slowly. In some parts of town, it still has metres to drop before people can even get back into their homes. That means hundreds of families are stuck waiting—not able to clean up, not able to rebuild, just waiting for the water to let them in.

And as anyone who's lived through a disaster knows, sometimes the waiting is the hardest part.

While communities like Dauphin are beginning to recover, Swan River faces a much longer road ahead because the water simply has nowhere to go. The flooding has damaged roads, rail lines, homes, and businesses. Infrastructure that was almost repaired after the first flood has now been washed out all over again.

For Mayor Lance Jacobson, the toughest part has been watching what his residents are going through. He's described people as being "coiled up like a spring"—ready to get home, ready to start cleaning up, but unable to do anything until the water recedes. It's an emotional toll that's difficult to put into words.

Municipal leaders are often the first people residents turn to during emergencies like this. They're coordinating the response, helping families find support, and already thinking about what recovery will look like months from now. At the same time, they're working with the province and hoping for additional help from the federal government because rebuilding after two historic floods isn't something any community can do alone.

Today, we're going to talk about where things stand in Swan River, what residents are facing in the days and weeks ahead, and what governments at every level can do to help communities recover from disasters that seem to be happening more often.

Joining me today is the Mayor of Swan River, Lance Jacobson.

----- Photos of Swan River Flooding by: Swan Hills Ranch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Swan-Hills-Ranch-100064662402914/

-----

Support The Show Today: https://www.crossborderinterviews.ca/support-the-show

Join The Show: https://www.crossborderinterviews.ca/be-part-of-the-show

------

Listen To The Show:

Apple: https://apple.co/41p5I2I

Spotify: https://bit.ly/3tkvb0E

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/crossborderinterviewswithchrisbrown

------