Residents of Sturgeon Landing, a remote Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation community near the Manitoba border, have been without electricity since 8:20 p.m. on October 12, leaving homes without heat or water amid sub-zero temperatures.
Amanda Sinclair, whose uncle died of a heart attack on Thanksgiving, said his body remained outside for nearly a full day before emergency services arrived.
“He was found around 5 a.m., and the ambulance came at 8 a.m., then the police at 11 and the coroner at 2 p.m.,” Sinclair said. “It’s so cold in the houses now. We don’t have heaters that can run because when we plug them into the generator, it shuts off.”
With limited generators in the community, many residents are relying on wood stoves and hauling water. The plant lacks a backup generator, forcing people to chisel through ice at really cold temperatures to collect water for flushing the toilets and cooking.
The outage followed a severe blizzard on October 12 that brought heavy snow and freezing rain, toppling trees onto power lines. Because of Sturgeon Landing’s location near the provincial boundary, the community faces jurisdictional confusion; part of the line is under SaskPower, while another section is maintained by Manitoba Hydro.
“They keep giving us the runaround,” Sinclair said. “From here to the tower it’s SaskPower, but from the tower to the highway it’s Manitoba Hydro, so no one’s taking responsibility.”
Kristin Aimoe, a PBCN member advocate who was in Edmonton at that time, said she learned of the situation after residents reached out in distress.
“One person was found dead, another was missing; that person has since been found,” Aimoe said. “There’s still nothing happening on the ground. We need emergency personnel there right away.”
Aimoe said she contacted the media to prompt action, describing the community’s situation as “ignored by leadership.”
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying they would deliver water and generators to the community while power line repairs continue.
“At this time, there is no estimated time of restoration for the power line repair,” reads a statement posted to the PBCN Facebook page at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. “We understand this situation is difficult and appreciate everyone’s patience as crews continue to assess and work on the issue.”
