Hundreds of evacuees have returned home to Pimicikamak Cree Nation, with thousands more on standby

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Hundreds of residents from a northern Manitoba First Nation have returned following a power outage that forced them to evacuate, but thousands more are waiting to go back home.

The majority of evacuees from Pimicikamak Cree Nation have spent the past few weeks in Winnipeg. There are also some evacuees from the community still in Thompson, Chief David Monias told CBC on Wednesday.

Although 400 residents have returned home, Monias estimates 3,600 more are stuck in limbo — unsure when they’ll get to head home.

“A lot of people are taking it pretty hard — psychologically, emotionally frustrated that they want to get things done faster,” Monias said.

A downed power line in late December caused a widespread power outage across Pimicikamak, and forced some residents to leave the community. Power was restored on Jan. 2, but frozen pipes and flooding left homes unsafe and resulted in even more evacuations.

Repairs are underway in Pimicikamak, but a lot of work still needs to be done, Monias said.

“They’re trying to get the walls fixed, get the plumbing up and running,” he said. “There’s some electrical issues, they’re trying to get those things sorted out, make sure that we don’t have any fires later on.”

Among Pimicikamak’s evacuees, Lori Osborne has been temporarily living out of a hotel by Winnipeg’s airport.

She received a notice on her door in early January telling her about the mandatory evacuation. Osborne hoped it would be a short stay, but she’s now bracing for another month away from home.

“On a card, it says until March, and I was like, what the heck! I didn’t know we were going to stay until March,” she said of a note she received after her evacuation.

“I was kind of shocked.”

Lori Osborne was evacuated from Pimicikamak Cree Nation in January, and has been temporarily living in a hotel room in Winnipeg since. (Justin Fraser/CBC)

Osborne is grateful she has siblings who are also in Winnipeg during the evacuation, but says it’s been a struggle walled up in a hotel room and away from the comforts of home.

“I have a one-year-old, and it’s hard to keep her entertained in a tiny room,” she said.

“I try to keep myself occupied. I take my kids out and we come just walking around the hallways, visiting each other, just keeping each other busy … doing the same old thing until we get to go home,” Osborne said.

While she is glad to see some of her fellow Pimicikamak residents return home, she can’t wait for her turn. 

“I don’t like being here. I want to go home. I love being home. I love Pimicikamak,” Osborne said.

‘A lot of anxiety’

Indigenous-led non-profit organization Ka Ni Kanichihk has been providing assistance to Pimicikamak evacuees in Winnipeg over the past month.

Executive director Jackie Anderson says heart helpers — frontline staff working with people accessing the service — have been offering them a bit of normalcy in a situation far from normal.

“There was a lot of anxiety when they first came, because everybody was separated and they didn’t know where their family members were,” Anderson said, adding that their staff have built close relationships with community members and leaders.

That includes bannock bakers providing a taste of home to elders, along with collecting donations of wild meat and fish for evacuees.

Ka Ni Kanichihk has also provided elders with a space on Tuesday and Thursdays where they can partake in activities such as crocheting, puzzles and read books.

“They’re really open and appreciative that our heart helpers check on them every day and provide them those opportunities to be here,” Anderson said.

Jackie Anderson, executive director of Ka Ni Kanichihk, says they’re trying to provide Pimicikamak Cree Nation evacuees with some normalcy amidst a difficult situation. (Justin Fraser/CBC)

There’s also a safe room that evacuees can access around the clock. The room is “a safe space for our families who just may need a break,” Anderson said.

She says it’s important that evacuees are not feeling overwhelmed in their hotel that they don’t have access to certain things when the activity room shuts down at 8 p.m.

Ka Ni Kanichik is also collecting donations so their stay can be a little more comfortable. Donations have tapered off since January, but Anderson says the need is still there.

“Pyjamas, slippers for the kids, and … board games, craft supplies for the activity rooms, but also so they can take it up to their room and have something to play with.”

WATCH | Hundreds of Pimicikamak evacuees return home, thousands still waiting:

Some Pimicikamak evacuees return home, thousands still waiting

Some people from Pimicikamak Cree Nation have returned home over a month after a power outage led to frozen and burst pipes that caused damage to homes and buildings in the northern Manitoba First Nation, prompting an evacuation. However, thousands of evacuees are still waiting for their turn to go back to the community. It’s unknown how long the evacuation will last, and one organization is gathering donations to help people who have been displaced.