Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and other leaders will visit Pimicikamak Cree Nation to assess damage from a power outage that forced evacuations
Delegation to Visit Pimicikamak Cree Nation After Power Outage
A delegation, including Manitoba’s premier, will visit Pimicikamak Cree Nation on Wednesday. This visit comes after thousands were evacuated from the northern community due to a power outage.
Premier Wab Kinew, along with Indigenous and federal leaders, will tour the First Nation. They aim to see the damage caused by the outage to the community’s homes and infrastructure, according to Pimicikamak Chief David Monias.
“Sewer backed up onto the floors,” Monias said during an interview on CBC’s Up to Speed. “It’s all ice sticking up from faucets. We have ice coming out of our electrical outlets and damages to the flooring and … foundation.”
Manitoba Hydro restored power to the First Nation on Friday. This was almost a week after a power line feeding the community had snapped. However, water that froze during the outage caused issues across Pimicikamak’s plumbing system after restoration.
About 200 homes were damaged due to leaks and burst pipes, Monias said during a news conference on Saturday. A water treatment plant was also affected.
Roughly 4,000 evacuees were forced out of the community as a result of the outage.
“Some people are in Norway House, some people are in Thompson, and roughly about half of them are in Winnipeg,” Monias said.
“Everybody wants to go home. They miss home. They want to get started and clean up now that we have … electricity.”
The delegation will include Assembly of First Nations’ National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. It will also include the grand chiefs of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, Kyra Wilson and Garrison Settee, respectively.
Rebecca Chartrand, the federal minister of northern and Arctic affairs, and officials with Indigenous Services Canada will also attend, Monias said.
The chief expressed hope that the visit will lead to long-term fixes for the community’s aging infrastructure. He wants to prevent similar outages in the future.
“We hope … there’s [a] clear path forward with measurable outcomes with respect to a transmission line infrastructure and making our houses safe,” Monias said.
“Make sure that the water lines are well-insulated to prevent them from freezing up, and to have a really good backup system in place for Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba.”
Summary of Key Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Visit Date | Wednesday |
| Premier | Wab Kinew |
| Community Affected | Pimicikamak Cree Nation |
| Power Restoration Date | Friday |
| Homes Damaged | About 200 |
| Evacuees | Roughly 4,000 |
| Locations of Evacuees | Norway House, Thompson, Winnipeg |
| Key Attendees | Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Kyra Wilson, Garrison Settee, Rebecca Chartrand |
