In 1997, for the first time in its history, the village of Sainte-Agathe in Manitoba was overwhelmed by the biggest flood seen in the Red River basin in more than 100 years. The little village quickly came to symbolize the devastating effects of the floods that have been a constant feature of life on the Manitoba prairies. In fact, its high profile led to the choice of Sainte-Agathe from among four other communities when the South East Manitoba Museum Committee decided to build a new exhibition about the "flood of the century", a $300,000 project. The Community Development Corporation of Sainte-Agathe therefore committed itself to constructing and managing a building that would be a suitable home for this interpretive display.

The project is of capital importance for the community of Sainte-Agathe, which will have the privilege of acting as the principal voice for all the villages and residents that fell victim to this major natural disaster. This is a golden opportunity to make the wider public more aware of the devastating effects of flooding. It is also an ideal way to underline the courage of the victims, who have pressed forward, rebuilding and improving their communities.


THE EXHIBITION

In 1998, the year following the flood of the century, the late Ronald Duhamel, then a federal cabinet minister, proposed that an interpretive display about the historic event should be developed. Having seen the desperate struggle of many of his fellow-citizens, he wished to provide to the general public a better understanding of the devastating force of the flood. He also wanted to improve the public's understanding of the causes of this natural phenomenon.

The $300,000 bilingual interpretive programme will have 16 display sections, accompanied by extremely interesting texts, photographs and artifacts. The exhibition will also highlight the suffering of the people affected, the rebuilding that has been undertaken, and the aid of the military at the time of the flood crisis.

One section will be devoted to the American town of Grand Forks, which lost its fight against the waters of the Red River in 1997. Naturally, the display will feature the sad fate of Ste. Agathe at the time of the disaster. All these elements and more will form part of a very modern exhibition, using the most up-to-date video and computer technology.