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Officials in Cumberland House are blaming the provincial government after declaring a state of emergency due to a lack of water.
The northeastern village – with support from the Cumberland House Cree Nation and Métis Nation–Saskatchewan – announced the emergency on Thursday, saying there is not enough available water to fill the community’s reservoir for winter, and there is only enough water to last another four weeks.
The reservoir represents the only local source of clean drinking water, and Veronica Favel, acting mayor of Cumberland House, put the blame squarely on the provincial government and its agencies.
“This ongoing situation we are facing is a result of complete negligence from SaskPower, Water Security Agency and the Saskatchewan Government,” Favel said in a statement.
According to a joint statement by the village, Cree nation and Métis nation, the reservoir is fed by the Big Stone River, which has stopped flowing due to low levels.
“Reduced flow levels in the watershed due to ongoing drought conditions and systemic upstream water diversions along the South and North Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan River watersheds have emptied the village’s reservoir and surrounding Delta watershed,” the statement read.
“An immediate response is needed from government agencies responsible to restore safe and reliable access to drinking water in Cumberland House and safe water levels to navigate the Saskatchewan Delta River system safely.”
The statement pointed to the E.B. Campbell Hydroelectric Station, located near Carrot River, as a “source of contention” for Indigenous people in the area, saying it disrupts the natural water cycle and damages the ecological health of the area.
“The longer E.B. (Campbell) dam is allowed to continue operating in its current state, conditions affecting Cumberland House and the Saskatchewan River Delta will worsen,” the local leaders said.
“Both short-term and long-term solutions are needed.”
According to the statement, leaders from Cumberland House are currently engaging with the Water Security Agency, Watershed Authority, SaskPower, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, and other organizations in order to find a solution to the “systemic” issue.
650 CKOM has reached out to the provincial government for a response.