Residents of a northern Manitoba First Nation are being told that their power will not be restored until late in the day on New Year’s Eve.
Pimicikamak Cree Nation declared a state of emergency on Monday following a widespread power outage in the Cross Lake area around 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
The community, which is about 750 kilometres north of Winnipeg, was initially told that power could potentially be restored by around 5 p.m. Tuesday. That’s been updated to 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to an email from Manitoba Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura on Monday.
An estimated 1,300 meters are affected by the outage, but the number of people impacted is much greater.
Hydro crews used a helicopter to discover a power line stretching across the Nelson River snapped about 10 kilometres north of Pimicikamak. Specialized equipment, including track vehicles, worked Monday to clear an access road to the site.
“Crews need at least one full day of daylight to safely perform the majority of the work, including reconnecting the power line across the river,” Chura said in the email.
Work to fix the damaged line needs to be done during daylight hours for the safety of Hydro workers, Chura said.
“It’s in a remote area with some challenging terrain, and crossing a river especially makes it a difficult, more time consuming project,” Chura said in an earlier interview.
“But we’re working to get it done as quickly and safely as possible, understanding absolutely the difficulties the community is in.”
Chief David Monias was away from the community on holidays when he heard about the power outage. He was on his way back to Pimicikamak on Monday afternoon to tend to the situation.
With temperatures below –20, and with it feeling closer to –30 with the wind chill, Monias and his team are working to provide warmth and shelter to the community’s most vulnerable members. The community’s public works building, as well as the old nursing station have been opened up to house people without power.
“We implemented an emergency plan to make sure to check on people. We have safety officers transporting people. We also have them checking on people to make sure they’re OK,” Monias told CBC.
“We have our local councillors, executive council members that are working around the clock to make sure people are taken care of.”
He’s been in contact with several provincial and federal individuals and groups, including Indigenous Services Canada and Premier Wab Kinew.
“We cannot wait [that long]. They’ve got to treat this as an emergency, and people’s lives could be at stake here,” Monias said.
“We have to make sure that they’re taken care of and that we accommodate people to take them out, especially the vulnerable people, the babies, especially the elders and the people who are sick”
The Canadian Red Cross, on behalf of Indigenous Services Canada and at the request of Pimicikamak, is providing support to community members impacted by the outage, including evacuating some residents.
The national organization is providing support through emergency accommodations, meals and other essentials in Thompson, a Red Cross spokesperson said in a Monday evening email to CBC.
Assistance is also being provided to residents who are remaining in Pimicikamak in the form heaters and generators being sent to the community, the spokesperson added.
The Red Cross says it will continue to work closely with Pimicikamak leadership and Indigenous Services Canada as the situation develops.
Pimicikamak’s grocers are also providing food and water to residents, and Monias says $50 per person is being provided at the local gas bar.
‘What are we going to do?’
Lori Osborne isn’t sure she’ll be able to make it out to the gas station, or to one of the warming sites with her one-year-old daughter.
She’s bundled up inside her home as best as she can, but has no vehicle and the closest centre is about a 10-15 minute drive away.
“Picture us all bundled up, waking up with a bunch of blankets all over us, and then walking into the living room and it’s just crispy cold,” Osborne said Monday.
To make matters worse, one of the windows has a crack in it, and her daughter is sick, battling a cough.
“I’m kind of worried right now because I don’t have a generator or a ride. I also asked around for the generators — no luck so far,” Osborne said.
Her mom went to her aunt’s home to get some bottles of water since there weren’t any in her home. And without propane, Osborne is unable to make any food.
“We literally have nothing,” she said. “What are we going to do?”
