large sinkhole in Winnipeg
© CBCA large sinkhole in Winnipeg's north end has been taped off by police.
Winnipeg police have blocked a large sinkhole at an intersection in the city's north end Sunday.

Officers were called to Airlies Street and Ashbury Bay at about 1 p.m.

City crews are currently on scene assessing the crater. The city said the sinkhole will be repaired Monday.

Homes in the area will not have water Monday, so crews can test for a possible leak.

Sinkholes are depressions and holes that occur in the surface of land. Most are caused by fluctuating water levels underground, but they can also be caused by things such as the collapse of an underground cave or an abandoned mineshaft.

Other things that can trigger a sinkhole is human activity. When groundwater is pumped out for irrigation, the overall groundwater level can drop, which can start the creation of a sinkhole.