Care for 2011 Manitoba native flood evacuees in limbo as cost mounts to $86M

WINNIPEG – Care for hundreds of flood evacuees in Manitoba is up in the air three months after Ottawa began working with the Red Cross.

The federal government asked the Red Cross to conduct a needs-assessment of the evacuees in the summer with a view to having the agency assume responsibility for their care.

The Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters has been overseeing aid for the evacuees since they were forced from their homes in 2011, but said it no longer wants that responsibility.

The association is being audited by Ottawa after being accused of squandering money and hiring relatives.

The needs-assessment has been completed but no one will say what it says or if the Red Cross is taking over.

In the meantime, the cost of caring for the long-term evacuees continues to rise by $1.5 million a month — the tab is now up around $86 million.