Winnipeg nursing home evacuated due to basement flooding

Eighty-six residents of a Winnipeg personal care home were moved out early Sunday due to flooding in the basement.

The basement at Golden Links Lodge at 2280 St. Mary's Road started flooding at around 3 a.m., setting off the care home's emergency systems and prompting fire and emergency crews to attend to the scene.

"There was significant flooding in the basement which was affecting all of the essential power and other systems here at the facility," said Lori Lamont, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's vice-president of inter-professional practice.

"The source of the water is unknown at his time. We believe it may be a water main issue, but it filled the basement very quickly. The decision was made, given the impact on the systems, that all residents would need to be evacuated from the site."

The 86 residents who were in the care home at the time of the flooding were moved out safely and relocated to three personal care homes in the neighbourhood.

"We're now in the process of contacting families and looking at planning in terms of contingency — what the arrangements will be for residents on a go-forward basis," Lamont said.

Golden Links staff have gone to the other facilities to assist residents, said Mary Knight, the care home's chief executive officer.