Along a gravel road, the sandbags on Alison Kakewash’s driveway serve as a constant reminder of a failed attempt to shield her residence from a significant flood that forced her family to evacuate Fisher River Cree Nation four years ago.
“It was like a lake around here. They had to come rescue me using a motorboat,” she recounted to CBC News. “I was pretty frightened.”
Kakewash mentioned that a nearby creek has overflowed since 1996, surrounding her home at least 15 times. In 2022, rain accumulated rapidly outside, leaving her trapped indoors.
“It was probably the worst flood I’ve ever experienced,” she stated. “I was away from my home for six to eight weeks.”
She expressed that for the past decade, she has heard assurances that crews would construct a dike to contain the surging waters during the spring thaw. Now, she feels relieved to finally see heavy equipment working near her home to begin the project.
Following years of seeking provincial and federal financial assistance, Fisher River is commencing construction this fall on permanent dikes to protect homes, essential infrastructure, and local roadways. This marks the initial phase of a project aimed at safeguarding the community against future floods.
Properties situated in lower areas on the western side of the First Nation contend with melting snow in spring, but water has also inundated some homes due to winds pushing Lake Winnipeg inland during the summer and autumn months.
Wooden poles indicate where crews will construct a new dike around Kakewash’s home. (Santiago Arias Orozco/CBC)
According to Clifford Kirkness, the lands governance director, Fisher River has experienced a major flood approximately every six years, with natural disasters becoming increasingly frequent and severe in recent times.
“It has devastated our community,” he remarked. “The mitigation efforts will be costly, but we hope they will offer us protection.”
Provincial funding
Lorne Cochrane, the director of operations for the community, stated that the First Nation aims to protect around 150 homes located in the floodplain. In some situations, a single barrier could effectively contain water around a group of properties.
Cochrane indicated that Fisher River plans to construct roughly 57 dikes overall. Seven of these will safeguard the homes most vulnerable to flooding and are expected to be finished before the next spring thaw.
“We aim to have 18 dikes completed by next fall, with immediate construction on the remaining ones starting next summer,” he said.
Construction commenced in early October, made feasible after the Manitoba government approved $15.9 million in funding for emergency flood preparedness for both Fisher River and the adjacent Peguis First Nation.
Additionally, Indigenous Services Canada will cover eligible expenses related to an extra $61.1 million in funding from Manitoba’s government designated for flood protection, as stated in a provincial news release in October.
“It’s reassuring to know that we are now being taken seriously,” Cochrane stated.
Lorne Cochrane, director of operations for Fisher River, anticipates the completion of 18 dikes by fall 2027. (Travis Golby/CBC)
Raising roads around residences could suffice to form sections of some dikes.
However, Cochrane noted that crews will generally need to remove topsoil in nearby open fields until they reach clay below, transport it, and then compact it into a wall that could reach heights of 1.2 meters. He added that culverts and drains would also be installed to facilitate water flow.
Unfortunately, this assistance comes too late for Doug Beyer.
He mentioned that flooding from Lake Winnipeg began to worsen gradually in the early 2000s, and sandbags were no longer sufficient to contain it. After observing no action from officials to elevate a dike, Beyer took it upon himself to construct one in 2010.
“I love my community. I chose to live here…. it may sound crazy, but I’m not going anywhere, come hell or high water,” he declared.
By 2017, after using nearly 30 semi-truck loads of clay, Beyer had encircled most of his property with his barrier. However, water surged through his driveway three times between 2021 and 2022, inundating his front yard.
Doug Beyer spent seven years constructing a dike around his residence. (Travis Golby/CBC)
“It’s exhausting. Losing property means losing everything you’ve worked hard for,” Beyer lamented.
Without his dike, he believes his home could have faced condemnation. Currently, Beyer is working to elevate his road to integrate it into the barrier.
A group of homes, including his own, is set to be protected by one of the new dikes in Fisher River.
“It’s vital that we get this completed. It should have been done 20 years ago, but I’m relieved it’s finally happening,” Beyer stated.
New neighbourhood out of flood zone
This fall, construction has also begun in Fisher River for a new residential area located outside the flood zone.
Kirkness revealed that the First Nation is establishing around 122 lots equipped with water and wastewater lines, intended for homes situated near the community’s schools, personal care home, and band office, but away from the floodplain.
Traditionally, homes within the community have been constructed along the river. The new properties will be redirected to the subdivision, which will exhibit an urban-like layout, featuring similar houses on lots approximately 30 meters apart.
“We are doing this to avoid evacuations. People do not want to go to Winnipeg. They wish to stay in their homes. Elders want to remain at home,” Kirkness explained.
Heavy machinery prepares the site for a new residential neighborhood being constructed away from the floodplain. (Travis Golby/CBC)
Cochrane noted that nearly 83 percent of the land in Fisher River is unsuitable for new residential development due to flooding risks. The new neighborhood will occupy one of the few remaining untouched areas on the highest points of the First Nation.
If flooding necessitates a family’s relocation, they would move to the subdivision, which also aims to alleviate overcrowding in some homes where multiple families currently reside, Cochrane remarked.
The First Nation anticipates constructing approximately 12 to 15 homes in this project each year.
As part of the flood mitigation efforts, provincial roads and bridges are set to be raised to ensure access during floods, expected to be completed by 2028, according to the federal government project registry.
Outside Kakewash’s residence in Fisher River, wooden poles were placed at the edge of her driveway in early October.
These markers indicate where her new dike will be constructed, instilling hope that rising waters will not force her family to relocate again.
“I no longer have to worry about leaving [again],” she expressed. “This is my home, the place where I have built a life with my children.”
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