A state of emergency has been declared in a northern Manitoba community following a power outage, which lasted more than 24 hours.
The power went out Saturday night around 7 p.m. in the midst of a snowstorm in Pimicikamak Cree Nation and Cross Lake. Manitoba Hydro said because of the poor weather conditions, it was difficult for crews to find where the problem started. According to Hydro, approximately 1,200 customers were without power.
“We are very concerned about the well-being of the Elders, the dialysis patients, the sick, and the very young people in Pimicikamak and Cross Lake,” said Chief David Monias, in a news release.
Hydro said typically crews are able to fly overhead to survey the damage and pinpoint where the problem is, but were unable to because of the weather. This forced crews to search by foot, ATV, and boat. On Sunday afternoon, Hydro said crews were able to find where the repairs needed to be done, but needed to call in additional resources from Thompson. According to Chief Monias, the hydro line was in the water.
“We are acting in the best interests of our vulnerable citizens,” said Chief Monias. “While we do hope that hydro will be restored [Sunday], we need to take necessary precautions to protect the lives of our community members by evacuating them out of the community as soon as possible.”
A spokesperson with the Canadian Red Cross told CTV News its services have been activated, and it is working with the community to see how it can support them.
Crews arrived in Cross Lake shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday. As of 10:30 p.m., it appeared all customers had their power back.
Cross Lake is located approximately 520 kilometres north of Winnipeg by air, and is home to around 7,000 people.
