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WINNIPEG — Record-breaking downpours are resulting in the postponement of several recreational events in Manitoba, but farmers and forest firefighters are dancing in the rain.
Heavy rainfall pummelled Winnipeg and southern Manitoba on Friday, with about 38.5 mm of rain falling at the airport.
That smashed the previous same-day rainfall record of 34.9 mm on June 6, 1982.
Manitoba Conservation fire program manager Tom Mirus says a massive blaze north of Grand Rapids on Highway 6, which has caused the highway to close and re-open several times in the last week, had about two millimetres of rain fall.
Mr. Mirus says the rain should also knock down the St. Theresa Point and Wasamagack fires almost completely, though he notes there's been no rain on the fire which for several days last week threatened Sherridon.
Meanwhile, hundreds of evacuated St. Theresa Point residents were finally returned home.
Mark Wehrle, general manager of Perimeter Aviation, said 250 residents were flown back to the northern community on Thursday, and the other 400 were returned Friday night and Saturday morning.
Most of the evacuees were staying in hotels in Winnipeg, but there were a few others in Brandon and Portage la Prairie.
“People are happy to get home. It was a relief for them to get out of there because of the smoke, but it's good to get back home,” Mr. Wehrle said.
The St. Theresa residents have been forced from their homes since last week because of a forest fire that threatened the community. The evacuation was extended due to health concerns because of blowing smoke.
Curtis Smith, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Native Fire Fighters, said the rain did help the situation.
“Everybody should be home now,” Mr. Smith said Saturday. “Hopefully they are relieved.”
Farmers were although thrilled to see the rain.
“It was almost on the verge on being too much, but it did shut off,” said Chris McCallister, who farms north of Portage La Prairie. “Now we just need heat.”
In rural Manitoba, Andre Cyr of Environment Canada said Deerwood, Manitoba received the most rain with 50.6 mm, followed by Morden of 43.4 mm and Carman with 33.8 mm.
“We had very little ponding, it was soaked up by the crops,” said Doug Chorney, who farms north of Winnipeg in East Selkirk. “It was perfect, really.”
Not everyone was jubilant to get soaked.
The downpour forced several large Winnipeg events to be rescheduled – including baseball games, horse races, a children's festival, and provincial track and field championships.
