Canada’s Armed Forces personnel have joined the ranks of local tradesmen and volunteers to begin to repair hundreds of homes damaged n Pimicikamak Cree Nation in the aftermath of a power outage last month.
The power outage left the community, 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg, without electricity for five days, while frozen pipes damaged much of the community’s water and system.
Seven soldiers arrived on Jan. 11 to help local workers assess damage to homes and infrastructure. Three more will be arriving in the community on Wednesday.
“Right now, we’re on receive mode,” said Lt.-Col. Aarthi Prabhakaran, the technical assessment team commander. “We’re trying to receive as much information to solve the problems.”
Power to the community was lost on Dec. 28. Electricity was eventually restored, but before that, cold weather froze pipes, causing thousands of water and sewer leaks. Community leaders and restoration workers say more than 500 homes have been affected.
About 4,000 people in the northern Manitoba Cree nation left their homes when power was lost. The lack of electricity came at the same time the area hit a deep cold snap, making an already dangerous situation even harder.
The emergency marked the third time in the past year that residents have had to evacuate the area. The community issued two evacuation orders in summer 2025 as wildfires approached.
Most of the estimated 1,300 homes in the area have seen at least some damage.
Bo Beardy, a plumber born in Pimicikamak, has seen the damage the power outage and leaking pipes have had.
“It’s just sad,” Beardy said, noting it could be months before he and the other plumbers finish their work. “People are here, washing dishes in bowls. We just have to get the water.”
A mobile camp is being set up nearby to house workers coming in to help. Plumbers and restoration workers have come from across Western Canada to pitch in.
The public works station in the community has become a hub of activity, where people can pick up supplies, including food, bottled water, baby formula and other staples.
Those goods go fast.
Sonia Spence, working with the Cree nation’s community support staff, said the need is high, especially after the initial power outage caused refrigerators and freezers to shut down.
“There was 500 meat hampers yesterday and they went in two hours, three hours,” she said.
Stores and businesses are back, but not everybody’s been able to get everything they need.
“We have the grocery stores opening up, we have the community opening up pretty much, but there was a downfall there. Most of the community is on social assistance,” Spence said.
Beardy says he and the other plumbers know they’re doing vital work for the community.
“You can see the joy in people’s faces when the plumbers come in,” he said. “We tell them that we’re going to get their house up and running as soon as we can.”
