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Roseau River evacuees arrive in Winnipeg
Nadine Shingoose waits with her children in lobby of Delta hotel in Winnipeg. Shingoose, along with other band members, was evacuated from the Roseau reserve today. (BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
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The first residents of Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation were evacuated to Winnipeg today as rising flood waters threatened the road into the reserve.
Two busloads of evacuees trudged into the downtown Delta Hotel just before 7 p.m. carrying suitcases, shoulder bags, and baby supplies. They included pregnant women, elderly people and families with little kids.
Donovan Nelson and Nadine Shingoose had 90 minutes’ notice Thursday to grab their seven kids aged two weeks to seven years, and get their bags to the bus.
"The Hydro’s been going off and on the last couple of days," said Nelson, who was helping work the pumps inside Roseau River’s ring dike. "We got the water out once, and it snowed again."
No one told the families who’ll be paying for their stay, or how the older kids will be schooled, he said — but the kids were happy to hear the hotel had a pool.
"I imagine we’ll be here for a month," said Kevin Laroque, who has five kids.
His wife Erin Thomas remembered being evacuated in 1997 for the flood. "I just gave birth to my first-born" back then, and now here she is again with five kids, she said.
"I thought we had a few more days, but they came and told us we had to leave," Thomas said.
Grade 12 student Stephen Littlejohn said he was told that kids will be placed in city schools right after next week’s break, but hasn’t heard where.
The reserve health authority made the decision to start sending elders and families with small children to higher ground even though there are still questions about who is going to pay for the evacuation and how much will be available. Roseau River is expected to be completely cut off by the flood.
Terry Nelson, who was the chief at Roseau until a recent electoral dispute left the community without an official leader, said talks are continuing with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada but he said he was told Ottawa won’t make a decision on any flood disaster assistance for Roseau until after April 1.
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