Federal, provincial and Indigenous leaders are meeting with the chief of a beleaguered First Nation crippled by a frozen water system due to a days-long power outage.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak are part of the delegation visiting Pimicikamak Cree Nation today to survey damage that has prompted the community to declare a state of emergency.
Damage to critical infrastructure has forced thousands out from the nation, about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg, with no timeline on when they can return.
Chief David Monias has said it's unclear how many of the more than 1,300 homes in the community have been affected by pipes bursting and sewage seeping in because there have not been enough resources to check.
He says the community's schools are also inoperable because of a damaged pipe and issues with the heating system.
Monias has been calling for the deployment of the Canadian Armed Forces for emergency logistical support, including water delivery and sanitation work.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
