Burst pipes no water holdouts remain in Pimicikamak

Pimicikamak Cree Nation Faces Water Crisis

Murray Trout paces through his living room as plumbers work to fix another burst water pipe in Pimicikamak Cree Nation.

Murky water filled the crawl space beneath his house and spilled into his backyard. Trout realized he wouldn’t have running water for the foreseeable future.

He worries that the flooding will cause mould, but that fear didn’t change where he would spend the night.

“There’s nowhere else to stay,” he said on Wednesday. “I have to stay as long as there’s a roof,” he quipped.

About 4,000 people were forced out of Pimicikamak due to a four-day power outage and plumbing issues. Trout’s story shows why many evacuees may take weeks to return and why some are not leaving.

Those choosing to stay could be called holdouts. They are either dealing with water and sewage issues at their own property or helping someone who is.

“We have come across some homes that have been lucky, but it’s far and few,” said Todd McConnell, a plumber helping local tradespeople who are working long hours.

Pimicikamak has faced many challenges. After days without power and temperatures below -30 C in late December, many homes may go weeks without running water.

Frigid temperatures caused the pipes to freeze, then burst when the thawed water pushed against the still-frozen pipe.

Trout faced this issue. After initially leaving the community, he and his wife returned last weekend because his wife was going back to her health care job.

Hundreds of homes are estimated to be damaged, but a precise number is not available. McConnell stated there aren’t enough workers yet to survey the destruction.

At least 200 homes are considered unlivable.

“We won’t know the full damage until we see a thaw,” said federal Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand, who toured the community with other politicians and Indigenous leaders on Wednesday.

Plumbers warned that repairs will take a considerable amount of time.

“It’s going to be a considerable amount of weeks, if not months, to repair everything,” McConnell said. “We are trying to go for essential [people] first, being seniors and children, and then moving on.”

Morris McKay’s home escaped damage. He credits the wood stove in his basement for preventing his plumbing from freezing.

However, the power outage was tough. He had only a space heater for his living room, while a pail served as his family’s toilet.

He has since turned his home, now with heat and running water, into a safe haven for family members who are less fortunate.

He notices his grandson Aidan running through the living room and scoops him up.

“One of the reasons why I didn’t want to leave,” he said.

Two doors down, his nephews live in a home where dirty dishes pile up because bottled water is scarce. Cloudy water has backed up from the sink.

“It’s very hard on us, deep down,” McKay said. “Sometimes I break down in private … I don’t show it to my family.”

He stayed in Pimicikamak during a month-long evacuation last summer due to wildfires and is staying again to support his family.

For Edith Blacksmith, her focus is on her neighbors as she oversees food hampers for residents in need.

The elementary school teacher feels a duty to help. Even though her home escaped damage, she doesn’t feel lucky because so many others are struggling.

She emptied her personal freezer to help feed others.

“I donated my meat, I donated my dry goods of what I had at home,” she said. “Whoever came and asked me for something to have, I provided that for them. I didn’t turn them back.”

Pimicikamak Chief David Monias stated that his community, with an on-reserve population of 7,000, cannot support the evacuees’ return. They want to save remaining accommodations for tradespeople and military personnel expected to arrive this weekend.

“If you come home and your home is not fixed, you’ll have no water, no heat, there’s no place to put you here,” Monias said in a Facebook video.

“Bear with us,” the chief insisted, “allow us to fix it for you.”

Summary of the Situation in Pimicikamak