MANITOBA -- Damage from Manitoba's spring flooding will be well into the "tens of millions of dollars," Manitoba's emergency measures minister said yesterday.

Steve Ashton said he will likely have an estimate of the total damage to everything from roads and bridges to private homes and cottages by some time next week.

"It's going to be in the tens of millions of dollars. There's significant damage to provincial and municipal infrastructure, particularly roads," Ashton said. "We'll have a better idea next week."

About 1,000 claims for disaster financial assistance have been made so far. They come from all over Manitoba, but the most severe damage to private residences is in the areas along the Red River north of Winnipeg.Want the whole story?