Good article that you posted notster. However, I think the situation could even be worse that the article depicts for Manitoba.
Manitoba has a network of winter roads that service many communities on the east side of the province.
I retired from Manitoba Hydro a couple of years ago. They have a fleet of tractor-trailers that use the winter roads to deliver company materials as well as other essential supplies required by the remote communities. The temperature has been unseasonably warm this year. The predicted high for Winnipeg today is an unheard of +7 degrees. I spoke with a person at Manitoba Hydro today and they said that there is a very high possibility that these roads will not open at all this year.
The climate in Manitoba, on the east side of Lake Winnipeg, is basically the same as the ROF area.