PIMICIKAMAK CREE NATION, MAN. — Bottled water, plumbing supplies and food continue to be flown in to a beleaguered First Nation in northern Manitoba, as its chief met Wednesday with political leaders to survey extensive damage to the community after a days-long power outage.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, federal Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs Rebecca Chartrand and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak are among a delegation touring Pimicikamak Cree Nation.
Thousands have been forced from the First Nation, about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg, with no timeline on when they can return.
The outage happened Dec. 28, after a 300-metre-long power line running between two islands in the Nelson River broke. Power was fully restored to the community Friday.
The utility company said the location and terrain made it harder than first thought to make the repairs. It supplied a large generator to restore power to a water treatment plant, as well as generators to power eight heavy-duty heaters for the community’s use.
However, the days without power caused much of the community’s water system to freeze, leading to burst pipes, cracked floors and overflowing sewage.
Local plumber Randy Spence said the priority now is to get plumbing fixed to the homes of seniors and children.
He said he’s one of the lucky ones. His sump pump started working when the power was turned back on, saving his home from the flooding he has seen in other houses.
“I feel for them,” Spence said. “I’ve been working for 40 years for the community, and I just want to help them. But it’s impossible to do everything just like that.”
Todd McConnell, a plumber brought in to Pimicikamak, said it could take months to make the repairs the estimated 800 homes affected.
“We’re trying to get everything fixed one house at a time,” McConnell said.
“We have come across some homes that have been lucky, but it’s far and few.”
McConnell said he has five plumbers working under him in the community, with two more joining later on.
However, he said, many more tradespeople are needed to make homes habitable.
“Even in lower Manitoba, it’s still hard to find a plumber right now,” McConnell said.
“So now to get them to come up north to drop everything, that’s hard, too.”
Fixing the plumbing is only one step in the repairs needed, he added.
“Even when we do get everything online, we’re going to find even more issues,” he said.
“Behind walls there’s going to be black mould. You can’t live with black mould. It rapidly grows.”
One of the three water treatment plants is fully operational, but it isn’t able to service the entire community. One is shut down and the other is on its last legs.
Water treatment operators have had to work around the clock to fix the damage.
“It’s very stressful,” one operator said. “I’ve had hardly any sleep. We eat when we can.”
The community is currently under a boil water advisory.
Chief David Monias has said it’s unclear how many of the more than 1,300 homes in his community will require repairs, because it lacks the proper resources to inspect the homes.
He said the First Nation desperately needs plumbers, home inspectors and electricians.
The community has identified at least 200 homes where the water had to be shut off to prevent any leaks and future destruction. At least 35 homes are considered uninhabitable.
About a handful of homes also burned after power was restored, and it’s believed the fires were caused by heaters short circuiting.
The community’s schools are also inoperable because of a damaged pipe and issues with the heating system. The health centre is up and running on an emergency basis due to limited access to water and a lack of resources.
Monias has called for the deployment of the Armed Forces for emergency logistical support, including water delivery and sanitation work.
The Manitoba government also reached out to Ottawa this week requesting military assistance for Pimicikamak.
In a letter to Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, the province asked the federal government to focus on the immediate assessment, repairing and restoration of critical infrastructure.
“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,” said Lisa Naylor, Manitoba’s transportation and infrastructure minister.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2026.
Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press
