First Nation declares emergency after flood stops essential train service
War Lake First Nation relying on emergency supplies until food can be delivered: chief
A remote Manitoba First Nation has declared a state of emergency after trains running north from Thompson to Churchill were cancelled due to flooding on the tracks.
The entire Nelson-Churchill drainage basin continues to have high water, said Manitoba Hydro Monday due to above average snowfall.
Chief Betsy Kennedy of War Lake First Nation said the last train bringing food, mail and other supplies into the community arrived on May 22. All trains since — four scheduled trips — have been cancelled.
War Lake First Nation, located about 145 kilometres northeast of Thompson and more than 300 kilometres south of Churchill, isn't accessible by road.
"It's been very difficult for us," Kennedy said. "We did declare a state of emergency because there is no way in and out of our community other than by train."
Poor weather conditions — mainly low cloud cover — have prevented emergency delivery of dry goods by plane, co-ordinated by the Canadian Red Cross and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.
There are about 170 residents in War Lake and nearby Ilford, Man.
On the weekend, Churchill also raised the alarm about a lack of trains coming up from the south. The flood was threatening homes in the northern town, with some houses and cottages in the Goose Creek subdivision hit by high water.
On Monday, Manitoba Hydro said the flood threat to the small northern town had eased. Waters along the Churchill River are expected to crest June 4 but the banks remain unstable, said a spokesperson.
Tataskweyak Cree Nation declared an emergency earlier this month because of high water levels on Split Lake but no evacuation has yet been ordered, Hydro said.
"There's a lot of frustration," Kennedy said about the situation in Northern Manitoba.
For now, Kennedy said the band office has a small amount of emergency food, such as Kraft Dinner, baby formula, french fries and canned goods, to help families get by.
War Lake's small airstrip is used only for charters, with no regular passenger flights. Trains are the only way community members can get to Thompson for groceries.
Via Rail has told the community there could be a train running again on Wednesday, Kennedy said, but there's no guarantee.
The Crown corporation told the CBC it has cancelled trains north of Thompson "until further notice" and has yet to publicly confirm a restart date.
"They're talking to see what they can do," Kennedy said. "They're going to phone me."
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak said in a news release that they're expecting trains to be cancelled for two weeks.
Kennedy said the timing of the cancelled trains couldn't be worse. Many households go shopping at the end of the month, after cheques such as old-age security come in, meaning families were already low on food before the trains stopped.
This is not the first time this year that trains carrying food to northern Manitoba communities have been disrupted.
Trains were cancelled in March after blizzards tore through the region, halting trains north of Thompson.