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First Nations flood evacuees hold protest outside Legislative Building

By: Larry Kusch

Posted: 11/26/2012 11:06 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 11/26/2012 1:59 PM | Updates

Lake St. Martin First Nations' resident Maryjane Beardy holds a sign while Chief Adrian Sinclair speaks during rally. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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Stephen Thompson and his wife Cherie. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

About two dozen evacuees from the 2011 flood held a protest on the front steps of the Manitoba Legislative Building today, upset that they are still homeless 18 months after being forced to flee the floodwaters.

Nearly 2,000 persons, mainly First Nations people, are still cut off from their home communities, displaced by a once in a 300 year flood on the Assiniboine River.

Some have recently had their living allowances cut back.

Sporting signs such as ‘All I want for Christmas is a Home,’ the protesters, mainly from Lake St. Martin First Nation, are upset that 18 months after being driven out of their homes their First Nation leadership and the federal and provincial governments are no closer to finding an acceptable permanent solution to their plight.

"We want a home, we want a school for our children," said Cherie Thompson, a mother of six from Lake St. Martin First Nation. "I just want to leave Winnipeg," she said.

Her husband Stephen, a commercial fisherman, lost most of his equipment in the flood.

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Updated on Monday, November 26, 2012 at 1:59 PM CST: updated, new headline and images added.

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