Armed forces members headed to help in Pimicikamak

WINNIPEG — Canadian soldiers are headed to a northern Manitoba First Nation, which has been devastated by the aftermath of a prolonged power outage, including damage to water and sewer systems.

A “specialized team” from the Canadian Armed Forces has been approved for deployment to Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister of emergency management, announced Friday.

The team will “provide targeted assessment and advisory support focused on water treatment and sewage systems, power generation, project management, and logistics,” Olszewski said in a statement.

She did not say how many CAF members are being sent to Pimicikamak, nor when they are scheduled to arrive.

Pimicikamak Chief David Monias told the Free Press that he and Olszewski had discussions throughout the week, leading up to the deployment being finalized Friday morning.

Monias said the First Nation requested CAF engineers who can assess damaged infrastructure, including water and sewage plants, and members who can help with project management and logistics.

He said about 10-15 CAF members are expected to arrive. He had not yet been told when they are scheduled to arrive, but he was expecting an update Friday night.

“My hope is we will start to identify what needs to get done, and to validate the concerns that we have,” Monias said.

The chief said Pimicikamak residents he spoke to following the announcement were happy to learn the military is being deployed.

“They’re hoping this will help us out in getting a quick turnaround time to get our people home,” Monias said.

About 4,000 of the community’s some 7,000 residents left during and after the power outage. Many evacuees are staying in hotels in Winnipeg and Thompson.

Monias thanked people who’ve been involved in the response to the outage and subsequent damage to buildings and infrastructure.

He declared a state of emergency after a Manitoba Hydro transmission line snapped just north of the First Nation on Dec. 28.

The community, located about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg, was without power for about four days — causing mass damage to homes and infrastructure after water pipes froze and burst. Water leaked into basements and crawlspaces.

Hundreds of Pimicikamak’s roughly 1,330 homes sustained damage, the chief said.

Monias previously said there is an urgent need for plumbers, electricians and other experts in the First Nation. He estimated repairing the damage could take weeks or months.

The incorporated community of Cross Lake, located next to Pimicikamak, also went without power for about four days. More than two dozen buildings there sustained water damage after pipes froze and burst.

Monias first pleaded for the federal government to deploy the army nine days ago. The Manitoba government eventually echoed his call, formally requesting support in a letter sent to Olszewski this week.

“From the outset, our government has worked closely with Pimicikamak,” Olszewski said in her statement.

“This has included federal technical teams supporting damage assessments, assistance with evacuations and essential services, the provision of generators and heaters, food and drinking water, and support to restore critical infrastructure.”

Premier Wab Kinew, who visited Pimicikamak with federal officials and Indigenous leaders Wednesday, said the province will continue to work with the community and Ottawa.

“Getting boots on the ground as soon as possible will help deliver much-needed supports and ensure people have what they need during this difficult time,” he said in a statement. “I’d like to thank everyone who has stepped up to help. This is who we are as Manitobans and Canadians.”

» Winnipeg Free Press