Manitoba flood diversion plan raises ire of First Nation leaders

Manitoba First Nation leaders are angry with a $495-million plan to build emergency flood outlets, arguing that governments still haven't dealt with damages from the 2011 flood that displaced thousands of First Nations people.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says while it's not opposed to flood diversion projects, the provincial and federal governments should help flood victims — some of whom are still out of their homes, four years later — before spending money on new projects.

• Governments promise $495M to ease flooding around Lake Manitoba
• Flooded-out First Nation demands Manitoba government step up with help

Grand Chief Derek Nepinak said the federal government should settle with evacuees who have lost their homes and livelihoods first.

"Until outstanding claims, reimbursements to our First Nations communities are settled … we do not support any more bypass surgery on the Interlake," Nepinak told reporters on Wednesday.

Nepinak estimated that one Interlake community is still owed $8 million in flood compensation.

"When we are talking about, you know, millions of dollars outstanding owed to communities from the 2011 flood, we're talking about people continuously displaced, we're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars that is still on the table that needs to be settled and negotiated to get people home. This is very disrespectful," he said.

On July 31, the provincial and federal governments announced they will build a second outlet channel from Lake Manitoba to Lake St. Martin, as well as enlarge the existing channel.

The province says it will spend $330 million while the federal government has promised $165 million.

"I'd like the government to pay up what you owe before trying to move on to other projects," said Chief Adrian Sinclair of Lake St. Martin First Nation.

Almost 2,000 people still displaced

A total of 18 First Nations were affected by the 2011 flood, with Lake St. Martin and several other communities evacuated due to the damage.

Four years later, 1,926 members are still displaced, while about 1,300 have returned home, according to the province.

"We have many evacuees in the city here, where they've experienced family breakup, we've had devastating social impacts," said Chief Cindy Spence of the Peguis Cree Nation.

About 1,700 of the remaining evacuees are from the Lake St. Martin, Little Saskatchewan, Dauphin River and Pinaymootang First Nations, the province added.

Eric Robinson, Manitoba's aboriginal affairs minister, told CBC News that the province will consult with First Nations on the flood diversion projects.

"The first thing that we had to do was identify the federal and provincial dollars. They were matching and we did that, and now the consultation phase has to commence," he said.

Robinson added that it was the chiefs from the four affected First Nations that had asked for water diversion projects before and after the flood.