The Manitoba Flood of 1950: An Illustrated History

John Kendle is a history professor at St. John’s College, University
of Manitoba.

Manitoba and its capital city, Winnipeg, lie in the Red River Valley, a
shallow basin draining into Lake Winnipeg to the north. In the spring of
1950, the ground was saturated from earlier rains and a winter of heavy
snow, and the snow and cold were dragging on longer than usual. In the
absence of a gradual runoff, disaster was unavoidable. By early April,
farmers were moving their livestock to higher ground. The resources of
the city, the province, and the federal government were soon
concentrated on saving as much of Winnipeg as possible from devastation.
The flood caused damages of more than $50 million (in 1950 values) and
made headlines around the world. Whole sections of the city were under
water; from the air, the area south of Winnipeg appeared to be one vast
lake.

Jack Bumsted has written the first full account of the flood. His
crisp, accessible narrative both describes its impact and analyzes the
efforts to deal with it. The book contains dozens of photographs but,
most important, Bumsted intersperses his absorbing and carefully
documented account with personal recollections and letter and diary
excerpts that vividly capture not only the drama and the intensity but
also the determination and the courage of the thousands of individuals
who came together in a massive effort to save their community.