Lights back on for First Nation in Manitoba, but frozen water poses new threat: chief

The chief of a First Nation in Manitoba says about 4,000 residents haven’t been able to return to the community and dozens more are set to leave because its water system has frozen after a days-long power outage.

Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias says Manitoba Hydro fully restored power to the community Friday after a downed power line forced a widespread outage last weekend.

But after its homes were re-energized, the remote First Nation learned its water plants, pumps, tanks and pipes had frozen.

The chief says the frozen water system, as well as the pipes that have burst, continue to put the well-being of community members at risk, including elders and children.

He says water also seeped into the sockets of some homes, there have been four fires so far in the community since the outage, and 35 homes are unlivable.

Monias is renewing calls he made in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney for the immediate deployment of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Joint Task Force West to help with various emergency logistical support, including water delivery and sanitation support.

“We need help with major infrastructure,” he said during a virtual news conference Saturday.

“There’s a risk of people getting electrocuted (because) there’s water on the ground. We have flooring that’s cracked, we have windows that are cracked, we have appliances and toilets that are frozen … We’re running out of food. We’re running out of water.”

Manitoba’s government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

In a Thursday statement, Public Safety Canada said it was actively monitoring the situation in close co-ordination with Indigenous Services and the province of Manitoba.

Soraya Lemur, press secretary to Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, added federal and provincial officials and non-governmental and Indigenous organizations on the ground are working together to support the community and respond to emerging needs.

Manitoba Hydro has said it supplied a large generator to restore power to a water treatment plant and eight generators to power heavy-duty heaters for the community’s use during the outage.

The outage erupted after a 300-metre-long line that runs between two islands in the Nelson River broke.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2026.