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Duff's Ditch Saves the
Day: Although damage
caused by the 1997 flood was
extensive, it could have been
far worse. Salvation came in
the form of the 47 kilometre
Red River Floodway, constructed
in 1968. Nicknamed "Duff's
Ditch" after the provincial
premier who authorized its construction,
the largest excavation project
in the history of Canada was
controversial. During the Flood
of the Century, however, the
Floodway succeeded in diverting
much of the Red River's raging
waters east of the city, saving
Manitoba's capital from untold
destruction.
Flood
of the Century: Of the
many Red River floods that have
devastated surrounding farm
lands and communities, the 1997
"Flood of the Century"
was one of the worst, creating
an enormous, 2,000 square kilometre
inland sea, stretching from
the United States border, 110
kilometres north to the southern
suburbs of Winnipeg. The ice-jammed,
swollen river flooded over 800
farms, forcing almost 25,000
residents from their homes.
A massive army of civilians
and 8,500 Canadian military
forces was mobilized to prevent
further destruction.
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Agribusiness to
Aeronautics: Evolving Red River Industry
The sophisticated, multi-billion dollar
agricultural industry which now dominates
the Red River Valley represents a quantum
leap from the first hand-ploughed wheat
fields of the early 19th century Red River
Settlement. The city of Winnipeg has become
the headquarters of Canada's grain industry,
including not only production, but also
commodities transportation, marketing, manufacturing,
food processing, information technology,
and industry support organizations such
as regulatory agencies, training schools
and consultants.
Home to the head offices of nearly all
of Canada's major grain companies, Winnipeg
also hosts several key grain regulatory
and marketing bodies including:
• The Canadian Grain Commission
• The Canadian International Grains
Institute
• The Canadian Wheat Board, marketing
agency for western wheat and barley, with
annual revenues of $6 billion
• The Winnipeg Commodity Exchange,
Canada's only agricultural futures and options
exchange.
A combination of agricultural production
and a cost-effective research environment
has fostered a growing agricultural biotechnology
industry in Manitoba, with a strong connection
between the agri-food and health industries.
Diversification and
Development: In past decades, the
city of Winnipeg has diversified its industry
base, with significant economic development
in several traditional and emerging business
sectors including:
• Aerospace
• Apparel
• Environmental industries
• Film production
• Financial services
• Health and biotechnology
• Information technology
• Transportation equipment manufacturing
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