Tuesday's substantial rainfall event in Winkler, which saw up to more than 100mm (or 4 inches) of rain fall in slightly more than an hour has led to the evacuation of residents and staff at Eden Mental Health Centre.
According to a news release sent to PembinaValleyOnline Friday evening the record event breached the facility in multiple places. Affected patients were moved immediately, and staff took quick steps to prevent further damage to the building.
A professional assessment on Thursday concluded the damage was too extensive to maintain air quality standards reliably. The Eden psychiatry team and staff consulted with government health officials and evacuated all affected patients on Thursday evening.
"We are thankful for the staff’s outstanding response, and we appreciate the excellent assistance from Salem Home," stated the release. "We are grateful for the strong support from our patients, and their families, during this difficult time."
Eden plans to continue to deliver specialized acute care for its patients in new temporary locations. Further air quality and building assessments will be undertaken, so patients can return to the Eden Mental Health Centre as soon as possible.
The Eden Mental Health Centre is a 25-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital that provides short stay psychiatric treatment to adult individuals. It's located on Pembina Avenue West in Winkler.