Residents of Pimicikamak Cree Nation are rejoicing as power and electricity are now being restored to the community. Manitoba Hydro has fixed a broken line that led to a widespread outage. The restoration process began on Thursday in stages, nearly four days after the downed line caused residents to endure freezing temperatures without heat, prompting a state of emergency.
Brenda Monias, who stayed in the community throughout the outage, expressed her relief at seeing her outside light back on, exclaiming, “praise the Lord! We have light again!” She was thrilled to have light and warmth back on New Year’s Day, especially for her grandchildren.
According to Manitoba Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura, repair crews have successfully fixed the downed power line. The utility is gradually re-energizing customers, restoring power throughout the First Nation community to avoid overloading and damaging equipment, which could prolong the outage.
The restoration process is expected to be completed by Thursday evening, with power fully returning to all customers in the community. The outage, which lasted four days in sub-zero temperatures, left many residents struggling without heating systems.
Chief David Monias declared a state of emergency on Monday, criticizing Hydro Manitoba for its delayed response. Approximately 1,400 individuals sought shelter in hotels or with relatives, out of the community’s 7,000 residents. The Canadian Red Cross provided over 500 generators and 600 heaters for household use to assist during the outage.
Chief Monias expressed concerns about potential infrastructure damage due to the extended outage and extreme cold weather. Plumbers are working to repair damages, with a possibility of hundreds of homes being affected. Coun. Shirley Robinson highlighted the lack of positive communication from the provincial government regarding the situation.
During the outage, community members united to offer warm meals and shelter to residents in need. Loretta Ross prepared over 1,000 meals for fellow residents, showcasing the community’s resilience and support for one another. Brenda Monias praised the community’s spirit of survival and cooperation, thanking frontline workers and volunteers for their assistance.
Manitoba Hydro will continue to monitor the power supply in the community to ensure stability. Additionally, the utility is providing Pimicikamak with a large generator to restore its water treatment plant and supplying generators and heaters for warming centers until residents can return home. Despite the repairs, evacuations are ongoing for vulnerable individuals.
