Manitoba highway sinkhole still moving, officials say.

[Robyn Appleton]

This aerial photograph of the massive sinkhole on Highway 83 was taken over the weekend by Jason and Sheila Marshall of Inglis, Man. (Jason and Sheila Marshall)

A landslide that caused a sinkhole to form on Highway 83 in western Manitoba is still moving, with the land sinking a few inches each day, according to the province.

Part of the highway near Asessippi Provincial Park, between Russell and Roblin, Man., has been closed since a section of the road collapsed last week.

Ron Weatherburn, a director with the province's Infrastructure and Transportation Department, told CBC News the sinkhole has dropped by about seven metres in some places.

"It's now moving an inch a day, or a few inches a day, so it is definitely slowing, and that's what we had expected," he said Monday.

"These slides don't typically happen in a few minutes or a few seconds," he added.

"They had noticed previously that there was some small amount of movement there, and then were taking precautionary measures, and then the larger slide started to occur."

Security guards have recently been posted at the site to keep people away from the sinkhole, according to people living in the area.

Weatherburn said a geotechnical consultant has been hired as provincial officials continue to figure out what to do next.

The province may have to move the highway, which would cost millions of dollars, Weatherburn said.

Source; http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2012/07/09/mb-hwy83-la...

[KM]

Russel is close to the border of Southern Saskatchewan, also a ruptured water main in Southern Saskatchewan.  The communities are probably about 4 hours commute time apart as the crow flies, but with the two incidents occurring within days of each other does not seem coincidental.  Mossbank is just south of Old Wives Lake.

http://www.inter-ski.com/whitebook30/CAN_W_SK_Map.htm

Mossbank, Saskatchewan Out Of Water Due To Rupture In Main Water Line

CP  |  By The Canadian Press Posted: 07/10/2012 4:10 pm Updated: 07/10/2012 4:44 pm

From a drinking water advisory to no water at all in Mossbank, Saskatchewan. ALAMY

MOSSBANK, Sask. - A town in south-central Saskatchewan has gone from a drinking water advisory, to having no water at all.

Warnings went out to residents that a boil water advisory would be in effect Monday afternoon for Mossbank, about 145 kilometres southwest of Regina.

That's because crews planned to make some repairs to the town's pumphouse, but then a main water line ruptured.

Town administrator Cynthia Kimball says it's not known how long the town will be without water.

Residents were given one hour Monday night to fill their tanks and are being reminded that all water used for washing or consumption needs to be boiled, once water is restored to the area.

Farmers who got water from the town's bulk tanks are now being re-routed to Assiniboia.

[KM]

Here is a link to another blog of the same:

http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/200-metre-crater-sinks-man...