Province pushes Ottawa for ‘swift’ response to request for military help from First Nation

The Manitoba government has asked Ottawa to send the military to a northern First Nation to help repair water and sewage systems that were damaged during a days-long power outage.

Lisa Naylor, Manitoba’s minister for emergency management, made a formal request in a letter dated Monday, five days after Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to deploy the Canadian Armed Forces.

“Manitoba is aware that Canada will be assessing this request for assistance to determine if the threshold for federal assistance has been met,” Naylor wrote to her federal counterpart, Eleanor Olszewski. “Given the urgency of the situation, we appreciate Canada’s swift attention to this matter as the safety of the residents of the Nation is our top priority.”

Soraya Lemur, a spokeswoman for Olszewski, said Ottawa will adjust its response as circumstances evolve, in collaboration with Pimicikamak’s leaders.

“Canadian Armed Forces are deployed to support civilian-led emergency management activities when their specialized capabilities are required or when there is an immediate risk to life,” she wrote in an email to the Free Press. “At this stage, the community’s urgent needs are focused on recovery and repairs, which are being addressed through a coordinated, civilian-led response with federal and provincial partners and the impacted First Nation.”

“At this stage, the community’s urgent needs are focused on recovery and repairs, which are being addressed through a coordinated, civilian-led response with federal and provincial partners and the impacted First Nation.”

Federal officials, Premier Wab Kinew and Indigenous leaders are scheduled to visit Pimicikamak Wednesday.

Monias wrote to Carney Dec. 31 to request military help. The chief sent the letter two days before power was fully restored, and before many residents began reporting burst water pipes and sewage backups in homes.

Indigenous Services Canada said it will provide funding to repair damaged infrastructure.

Monias has repeatedly said government bureaucracy delayed the response to the outage and subsequent infrastructure damage. He welcomed the province’s request for military involvement.

“That is something we’d like to see happen,” he said during a virtual news conference.

Monias said he was told a state of emergency declared by Pimicikamak last week wasn’t enough to trigger military aid.

He said Kinew told him a declaration from the Manitoba government isn’t required for Ottawa to send in the military.

The power went out for about 7,500 residents in Pimicikamak and neighbouring Cross Lake late Dec. 28 when a transmission line snapped in a remote area north of the communities. Manitoba Hydro crews repaired the line Jan. 1 and restored electricity in phases.

Pipes and tanks froze while the temperature dropped to about -30 C. Pimicikamak ran out of potable water.

Generators, heaters, food, bottled water, cots, blankets and other support were provided by governments, Manitoba Hydro and the Canadian Red Cross.

About 4,000 residents left Pimicikamak. Hundreds of evacuees remain in hotels in Winnipeg and Thompson.

Donors dropped off clothing, diapers, baby formula, women’s hygiene products and other items for evacuees at the Best Western Plus Winnipeg Airport Hotel in Winnipeg.

Monias said technicians from the federal government were in Pimicikamak Tuesday, while homes, other buildings and the First Nation’s water and sewer systems continued to be inspected for potential damage.

“They’re now appreciative of the things we’ve been saying. It’s not just hearsay. They’ve been able to see it for themselves,” the chief said.

Monias said he toured homes Tuesday that had water damage, sewage in bathtubs and cracks in floors.

Pimicikamak’s water and sewage treatment plants were “barely functioning,” he said.

Inspections of the First Nation’s 1,335 homes were slowed by a lack of staff, said Monias, who previously put out a call for plumbers, electricians, carpenters and engineers.

Water service was turned off in at least 200 homes to stop leaks and prevent more destruction, he said.

Residents are not be permitted to return to damaged homes until repairs are completed.

The community’s schools are closed due to water leaks or a lack of heat. An arena and a youth centre also sustained damage, Monias said.

Pimicikamak’s nursing station is open for emergencies only.

— With files from Carol Sanders

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Chris Kitching
Reporter

Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.

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