Lake Manitoba flood victims consider class-action lawsuit

Lake Manitoba residents and others whose properties were damaged in last year's floods will discuss whether to launch a class-action lawsuit against the provincial government.

Upwards of 400 Lake Manitoba homeowners, cottage owners and others many of whom are upset with the province over its handling of flood claims are invited to a meeting June 6 at Sisler High School in Winnipeg to discuss their next move.

"It's just an information-gathering meeting to educate our membership as to whether or not they feel they, you know, want to go with a class-action suit or not," Dennis Turek, a spokesman for the Twin Lakes Beach Association, told CBC News.

Numerous properties along Lake Manitoba wereheavily damaged in the spring flood of 2011, including those on Twin Lakes Beach, Laurentian Beach, Sandpiper Beach, Pioneer Resort, Delta Beach and Johnson Beach.

Powerful winds whipped across the rain-swollen lakein May andJune of that year, creating large waves that pounded the shore and washed inland.

Slow pace

Turek said not everyone who lived along Lake Manitoba is upset with the province, but many are frustrated with the slow pace of theprovince's claims and compensation processes.

"There are many that I know of that are just worn down, because the terms and conditions are quite difficult to understand," he said.

"We have deadlines that are fast approaching, and yet some people like myself haven't even had a settlement offer. So yeah, there's a high level of frustration."

The one-year anniversary of the Lake Manitoba flood is this ThursdayMay 31 and Turek said any lawsuit must be filed within two years of that date.

"The clock is ticking on us, so as an association, we felt it was time to organize such a meeting to help our membership make an informed decision as to how they want to move on," he said.

No media will be allowed inside next week's meeting, Turek said.