Ferry breaks, no way in or out of Manitoba's Shoal Lake
The community's chief, Erwin Redsky, is waiting to see if it can be fixed
The ferry that Shoal Lake First Nation's chief calls the community's "lifeline to the outside world," is broken, leaving residents with enough clean water to last only until Sunday.
The ferry is the only transportation in and out of the northwestern Ontario community during the spring, and chief Erwin Redsky is waiting to hear whether it can be repaired.
"[We've] issued [a] state of emergency for the health and safety of our people," he said.
"So, yeah. We're very concerned."
Redsky says private boats are taking people in and out of the community, which is located at the source of Winnipeg's drinking water.
According to Redsky, the community may have to buy a pontoon if the ferry can't be fixed by Sunday — a purchase that Ottawa would have to approve first.